Factors affecting the utilization of antenatal care among married women of reproductive age in the rural Thatta, Pakistan: findings from a community-based case-control study

Level of optimal antenatal care utilization and its associated factors among pregnant women in Arba Minch town, southern Ethiopia: new WHO-recommended ANC 8+ model

Background

To fully realize the life-saving and health-promoting benefits of antenatal care (ANC), the latest World Health Organization (WHO) recommendations call for pregnant women to have at least eight contacts with skilled healthcare providers. This increased number of recommended ANC visits represents a shift toward a more comprehensive, individualized approach to prenatal care. The focus is on health promotion, disease prevention, and the early detection and management of complications during pregnancy. However, in sub-Saharan African countries, including Ethiopia, the coverage rate for this level of recommended antenatal care is only 58%. Given this relatively low utilization, identifying the key risk factors that prevent adequate antenatal care would have significant implications for increasing overall ANC uptake in these regions.

Objective

The aim of the present study was to assess the level of optimal antenatal care utilization and its associated factors among pregnant women in Arba Minch town, southern Ethiopia in 2023 using the new WHO-recommended ANC 8+ model.

Methods

An institution-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 416 mothers who were enrolled between 1 December 2022 and 30 January 2023. The total sample size was allocated proportionately to the number of women who delivered at each public health facility. Thus, systematic sampling was applied. Kobo Toolbox was used for data collection and cleaning, which was then analyzed using SPSS Version 26. Statistical significance was determined at a p-value <0.05.

Results

In this study, the level of optimal antenatal care was 41% [95% confidence interval (CI): 37-45.3]. The associated factors with optimal antenatal care were the presence of pregnancy danger signs [adjusted odds ratios (AOR) = 4.1, 95% CI: 1.87-8.82], having bad obstetric history (AOR = 3.90, 95% CI: 1.94-7.83), antenatal contact at hospital (AOR = 5.11, 95% CI: 2.28-11.21), having good knowledge about antenatal care (AOR = 2.26, 95% CI: 1.15-4.44), women's high decision-making power (AOR = 3.9, 95% CI: 1.2-7.63), and male partner involvement (AOR = 2.0, 95% CI: 1.04-3.78) were positively associated with optimal antenatal care utilization.

Conclusion

The level of optimal antenatal follow-up is still low. Therefore, it is crucial to provide more information during the antenatal contacts to lower the rate of women discontinued from antenatal care.

The receipt of health information on neonatal dangers signs during the immediate postpartum period and its determinants in Ethiopia: a multilevel mixed-effects logistic regression analysis of the 2016 Ethiopian demographic health survey report

BACKGROUND

Identification of neonatal danger signs and immediate access to health care are two global efforts aimed at enhancing newborn and child survival by preventing 75% of neonatal deaths. Despite various small-scale studies on women's awareness of neonatal danger signs in Ethiopia, little is known about the level of receiving health information on those danger signs during the immediate postpartum period at the national level. Hence, this study aimed at assessing the level, and its determinants of the service uptake in Ethiopia.

METHODS

The data for this study was taken from the Ethiopian Demographic and Health Survey (EDHS), which took place from January to June 2016 and covered all administrative regions of Ethiopia. A weighted sample of 7,589.8 women was analyzed using STATA version 16. To account for data clustering, a multivariable multilevel mixed-effect logistic regression analysis was employed to determine the effects of each predictor on the outcome variable. Adjusted odds ratio with its corresponding 95% confidence interval was used to declare the statistical significance of the explanatory variables.

RESULTS

The receipt of health information on neonatal danger signs during the immediate postpartum period was 10.70% [95% CI:10.01, 11.40]. Variables namely living in Metropolitans [AOR = 2.06; 95%CI: 1.48, 2.88] and Large central [AOR = 1.83; 95%CI: 1.38, 2.42] regions, being in the highest wealth quintile [AOR = 1.87; 95% CI: 1.23, 2.84], being nulliparous [AOR = 0.27; 95% CI: 0.08, 0.87] and primiparous[AOR = 0.61;95% CI: 0.46, 0.79], getting adequate antenatal visits [AOR = 2.42; 95% CI: 1.75, 3.33], institutional delivery [AOR = 5.91; 95% CI: 4.66, 7.53], and receipt of postnatal visits [AOR = 3.52; 95% CI: 2.84, 4.38] were identified as significant determinants of receiving health information on newborn danger signs.

CONCLUSION

The findings revealed that unacceptably low uptake of health information on newborn danger signs during the immediate postpartum period in Ethiopia. A concerted effort is needed from all stakeholders in the health sector to enhance the uptake of maternal health services (antenatal care, skilled delivery service, and postnatal care). Healthcare providers should pay special attention to nulliparous and primiparous women during and after delivery, and the government should also focus on women of peripheral regions, who make up a large portion of the low coverage.

Multilevel modelling of factors associated with eight or more antenatal care contacts in low and middle-income countries: findings from national representative data

Background

Antenatal care (ANC) is the care provided by skilled healthcare professionals to pregnant women in order to ensure the best health conditions for both mother and baby. Antenatal care provides a platform for important healthcare functions including risk identification, prevention and management of pregnancy-related diseases. Inadequate ANC utilization is a global problem especially for low and middle-income countries. The 2016 WHO ANC model with a minimum of eight ANC visits was aimed to provide pregnant women with person specific care at every contact. However, there are limited studies that investigate the associated factors of inadequate ANC after the endorsement of the WHO 2016 guideline. Therefore, to enrich the evidence in the low and middle-income countries (LMICs), this study aimed to determine the pooled prevalence and associated with eight or more ANC contacts during pregnancy.

Methods

This study used data from 20 LMICs that have a recent Demographic and Health Survey. About 43 720 women aged 15-49 years who had live births within the year prior to the surveys were included. To identify associated factors of 8 or more ANC contacts, we used multilevel binary logistic regression, and four models were constructed. The results have been presented as odds ratios with 95% CIs, and P values less than 0.05 were considered significant factors for greater than or equal to 8 ANC contacts.

Results

In LMICs, the pooled utilization of 8 or more ANC contact was 18.11% (95% CI: 12.64, 23.58), and it ranged from 0.27% in Rwanda to 76.62% in Jordan. In the final multilevel logistic regression model, women with higher education [adjusted odds ratio (AOR)=3.83, 95% CI: 3.32, 4.41], husbands with higher education (AOR=1.98, 95% CI: 1.72, 2.28), women who have access to media (AOR=1.32, 95% CI: 1.19, 1.45), women with decision-making autonomy (AOR=1.52, 95% CI: 1.39, 1.66), women aged 35-49 years (AOR=1.70, 95% CI: 1.5, 1.91), women from communities with high media access (AOR=1.38, 95% CI: 1.23, 1.53), and husbands residing in communities with high literacy (AOR=1.76, 95% CI: 1.55, 1.98) were associated with higher odds of greater than or equal to 8 ANC contacts. Conversely, women with a birth order of greater than or equal to 6 (AOR=0.65, 95% CI: 0.56, 0.76), women who perceive the distance to a health facility as a significant problem (AOR=0.90, 95% CI: 0.83, 0.96), those with unwanted pregnancies (AOR=0.85, 95% CI: 0.78, 0.93), delayed initiation of ANC (AOR=0.26, 95% CI: 0.23, 0.3), women from households with the richest wealth index (AOR=0.45, 95% CI: 0.40, 0.52), and rural residents (AOR=0.47, 95% CI: 0.43, 0.51) were associated with lower odds of ≥8 ANC contacts.

Conclusion and recommendations

In compliance with the WHO guideline, the number of ANC contacts is low in LMICs. Individual-level, household-level, and community-level variables were associated with greater than or equal to 8 ANC contacts. Therefore, implementation strategies should focus on the identified factors in order to achieve the new WHO recommendation of greater than or equal to 8 ANC contacts.

Investigating Health Inequality Using Trend, Decomposition and Spatial Analyses: A Study of Maternal Health Service Use in Nepal

Objectives: (a) To quantify the level and changes in socioeconomic inequality in the utilization of antenatal care (ANC), institutional delivery (ID) and postnatal care (PNC) in Nepal over a 20-year period; (b) identify key drivers of inequality using decomposition analysis; and (c) identify geographical clusters with low service utilization to inform policy. Methods: Data from the most recent five waves of the Demographic Health Survey were used. All outcomes were defined as binary variables: ANC (=1 if ≥4 visits), ID (=1 if place of delivery was a public or private healthcare facility), and PNC (=1 if ≥1 visits). Indices of inequality were computed at national and provincial-level. Inequality was decomposed into explanatory components using Fairile decomposition. Spatial maps identified clusters of low service utilization. Results: During 1996-2016, socioeconomic inequality in ANC and ID reduced by 10 and 23 percentage points, respectively. For PND, the gap remained unchanged at 40 percentage points. Parity, maternal education, and travel time to health facility were the key drivers of inequality. Clusters of low utilization were displayed on spatial maps, alongside deprivation and travel time to health facility. Conclusion: Inequalities in the utilization of ANC, ID and PNC are significant and persistent. Interventions targeting maternal education and distance to health facilities can significantly reduce the gap.

Perceptions on acceptability of the 2016 WHO ANC model among the pregnant women in Phalombe District, Malawi - a qualitative study using Theoretical Framework of Acceptability

BACKGROUND

The World Health Organization introduced a new model of care, 'The 2016 WHO ANC Model' to overcome challenges encountered during the implementation of the Focused Antenatal Care Approach. For any new intervention to achieve its objective, it must be widely accepted by both the deliverers and recipients. Malawi rolled out the model in 2019 without carrying out acceptability studies. The objective of this study was to explore the perceptions of pregnant women and health care workers on the acceptability of 2016 WHO's ANC model in Phalombe District, Malawi using the Theoretical Framework of Acceptability.

METHODOLOGY

We conducted a descriptive qualitative study between May and August 2021. The Theoretical Framework of Acceptability was used to guide the development of study objectives, data collection tools, and data analysis. We purposely conducted 21 in-depth interviews (IDIs) among pregnant women, postnatal mothers, a safe motherhood coordinator, and Antenatal care (ANC) clinic midwives, and two focus group discussions (FGDs) among Disease Control and Surveillance Assistants. All IDIs and FGDs were conducted in Chichewa, digitally recorded, and simultaneously transcribed and translated into English. Data was analysed manually using content analysis.

RESULTS

The model is acceptable among most pregnant women and they reckoned that it would help reduce maternal and neonatal deaths. Support from a husband, peers, and health care workers facilitated acceptability of the model while the increased number of ANC contacts which resulted in fatigue and increased transportation cost incurred by the women was a deterrent.

CONCLUSION

This study has shown that most pregnant women have accepted the model despite facing numerous challenges. Therefore, there is a need to strengthen the enabling factors and address the bottlenecks in the implementation of the model. Furthermore, the model should be widely publicised so that both intervention deliverers and recipients of care implement the model as intended. This will in turn help to achieve the model's aim of improving maternal and neonatal outcomes and creating a positive experience with health care among pregnant women and adolescent girls.

Factors Influencing the Utilization of Antenatal Services among Women of Childbearing Age in South Africa

Access to quality care before, during, and after childbirth remains an effective means of reducing maternal and neonatal mortality. Therefore, the study identified factors influencing the utilization of prenatal care services among women of childbearing age in South Africa. This is a retrospective study based on secondary data from the South African Demographic Health Survey (DHS) conducted from 1998 to 2016. In South Africa, 21.0% of mothers had used ANC services. Higher odds of seeking prenatal care were found in women aged 35 years and older (cOR = 1.26, 95% CI; 1.08–1.47, p = 0.003), married or cohabiting (cOR = 1.13, 95% CI; 1.004–1.27) observed, p = 0.043), higher level of education (tertiary education: cOR = 0.55, p = 0.001), female residents in urban areas (cOR = 1.35, 95% CI; 1.20–1.52, p = 0.001), higher wealth index (cOR = 1.32, 95% CI; 1.15–1.51, p = 0.001), employed (cOR = 1.48, 95% CI; 1.29–1.70, p = 0.001) and media exposure (cOR = 1.27, 95% CI; 1.12–1.44), p = 0.001). The findings of this study provide insight into the need to make maternal health services more accessible, more widely used, and of a higher quality. This requires effective strategic policies that promote patronage to reduce maternal mortality and improve newborn outcomes in South Africa.

Assessment of Effective Coverage of Antenatal Care and Associated Factors in Squatter Settlements of Islamabad Capital Territory, Pakistan: An Analytical Cross-Sectional Study

Background: Effective coverage of antenatal care (ANC) goes beyond contact coverage and assesses the quality of service provided. We used World Health Organization’s recommended positive pregnancy guidelines to assess effective coverage and factors associated with the utilization of ANC among women in squatter settlements of Islamabad Capital Territory.

Methods:We conducted a household survey in the study area with 416 women who had given birth in the past one year. Face-to-face interviews were conducted after the selection of study subjects was done through a systematic random sampling approach. Statistical analysis was carried out using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences 22 (SPSS 22; IBM corp. Armonk, NY). Effective ANC coverage was defined as four or more ANC visits along with all WHO-recommended interventions received at least once during ANC. Adjusted odds ratios (adjOR) with 95% CI were calculated using binary logistic regression to determine the independent effects of all associated factors on the outcome.

Results: Of the 416 women interviewed, 399 (95.6%) had availed ANC services at least once. The coverage of 4+ ANC visits was 92% but effective coverage was only received by 35% women. The proportion of women who received nutritional interventions, maternal and fetal assessment and other preventive measures was 68%, 51% and 80.8% respectively. Maternal education (adjOR, 95% CI = 4.8[2.4-9.3]), family income (2.3[1.1-5.1]), multiparity (1.7[1.1-2.9]), place of first ANC visit (4.2[1.7-10.5]) and distance from a health facility (2.2[1.3-3.6]) were independently associated with the non-utilization of effective ANC.

Conclusion: Despite a very high crude coverage of ANC services, the study shows a very low proportion of women receiving effective coverage. This stresses the importance of measuring the proportion of the population that receives health services with quality to monitor progress toward achieving universal health coverage.

Antenatal care services utilization during COVID-19 second wave attack in Pasuruan, Indonesia

Indonesia is currently experiencing the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, impacting maternal health services and maternal mortality. This research aims to investigate the use of antenatal care (ANC) during the COVID-19 second wave and the factors that play a role in this situation. A cross-sectional study was conducted during July 2021 on 344 pregnant women in primary, secondary, and tertiary maternal health care facilities in Pasuruan Regency, Indonesia. The data collection technique was simple random sampling, with face-to-face interviews assisted by questionnaires. Logistic regression and adjusted odds ratio with 95% CI and p<0.05 were performed to identify a significant relationship. 136 (39.5%) pregnant women did not use ANC services during the second wave of the COVID-19 outbreak. Husband’s support (AOR=13.814, 95% CI: 8.090–23.588), believing that pregnant women are not afraid of contracting COVID-19 (AOR=6.501, 95% CI: 3.904–10.825), easy access to transportation (AOR=12.145, 95% CI: 6.186–23.846), ease of ANC fees (AOR=4.105, 95% CI: 2.424–6.950), no lockdown policy (AOR=3.130, 95% CI: 1.983–4.940), knowledge regarding COVID-19 (AOR=2.975, 95% CI: 1.793–4.938), COVID-19 information on social media (AOR=3.035, 95% CI: 1.179–7.815), COVID-19 prevention protocols in health facilities (AOR=8.478, 95% CI: 3.611–19.903) were predictors of ANC utilization. This encourages the importance of prioritizing health services for pregnant women during the pandemic, overcoming the fear of contracting COVID-19 through maternal education, husband support, easy access to ANC, and improving the quality of ANC service facilities.

Adequacy and timeliness of antenatal care visits among Ethiopian women: a community-based panel study

OBJECTIVES

The purposes of the study are; (A) to identify whether Ethiopian women's antenatal care (ANC) visits are adequate and timely and (B) to explore factors that determine these.

DESIGN

Panel study design.

SETTING

Ethiopia.

PARTICIPANTS

A total of 2855 women nested within 217 enumeration areas.

PRIMARY OUTCOME MEASURES

Adequacy and timeliness of ANC visits.

RESULTS

Of all the 2855 respondents, 65% had made an ANC visit once, while 26.8% initiated ANC visits in a timely way and 43.3% attended adequate ANC visits. Rural residence (adjusted OR (AOR)=0.55, 95% CI: 0.36 to 0.84), attending higher level of education (AOR=2.64, 95% CI: 1.47 to 4.77), being multipara (AOR=0.53, 95% CI: 0.32 to 0.89) and encouragement by partners to attend clinic for ANC (AOR=1.98, 95% CI: 1.14 to 3.44) were significantly associated with timeliness of ANC visit. Similarly, residing in rural areas (AOR=0.20, 95% CI: 0.12 to 0.35), attending higher level of education (AOR=2.96, 95% CI: 1.38 to 6.15), encouragement by partners to attend clinic for ANC (AOR=2.11, 95% CI: 1.31 to 3.40) and timeliness of ANC visit (AOR=4.59, 95% CI: 2.93 to 7.21) were significantly associated with adequacy of ANC visits.

CONCLUSIONS

A quarter of the pregnant women started ANC visits during the first trimester and nearly half attended adequate ANC visits with wider disparities across regions of their origin and their background characteristics. Concerted efforts on tailored interventions for rural residents, female education and partner involvement are recommended for early and adequate ANC visit(s).

Identifying Factors Associated with Barriers in the Number of Antenatal Care Service Visits among Pregnant Women in Rural Parts of Ethiopia

Background

Antenatal care visit is the service given to pregnant women to have a safe pregnancy and a healthy baby. The main objective of this study was to identify potential factors for the barriers in the number of antenatal care visits.

Methods

Data for this study was taken from the 2016 Ethiopian demographic health survey. All childbearing women from rural parts of Ethiopia were considered in this study, and the count regression model was used to explore the major risk factors for the barriers in the number of antenatal care service visits.

Results

Nearly 42% of pregnant mothers did not visit antenatal care services, and only 1% of the mothers attended antenatal care service visits eight times and above. From hurdle Poisson regression model results, women having previous pregnancy complication (AOR = 1.16; P ≤ 0.001); husbands with primary education (AOR = 1.02; P=0.004), secondary education (AOR = 1.117; P ≤ 0.0001), and higher education (AOR = 1.191; P ≤ 0.001); middle wealth index (AOR = 1.08; P=0.006); richer wealth index (AOR = 1.10; P ≤ 0.001); maternal age 35–49 (AOR = 0.690; P ≤ 0.001); being exposed to media access (AOR = 1.745; P=0.019); having distance problem (AOR = 0.75; P=0.013); planned pregnancy (AOR = 1.42; P=0.002); and mothers with primary education (AOR = 1.85; P ≤ 0.001) and secondary (AOR = 2.387; P ≤ 0.001) were statistically associated with barriers in the number of ANC service visits.

Conclusion

As indicated in the findings, there is underutilization of the antenatal care service visits regarding rural women in Ethiopia. Having a low education level, no media access, distance problem from the health facility, and not planned pregnancy decrease the rate of antenatal care service visits. To fill this discrepancy, the concerned bodies including government and nongovernmental organizations should work on the identified factors in the rural parts of the country to save children and mothers.

Factors affecting optimal antenatal care utilization in Indonesia: implications for policies and practices

Most maternal deaths are preventable with good antenatal care. The study aimed to examine factors relevant to optimal frequency of Antenatal Care (ANC) visits in Indonesia using the Indonesian Demographic and Health Survey 2017 data. Our study outcome was optimal numbers of ANC visits (≥ 8 visits). Predictors include age, had pregnancy termination, number of children, education level, employment status, awareness of pregnancy problems, wealth index, residence, region, health insurance coverage, and barriers to reach healthcare facilities. Of 3738 participants, about 60.2% had optimal number of ANC visits. There was an association between optimal ANC utilization and: experiencing pregnancy complications, distance to the healthcare facility, health insurance coverage, residence, region, awareness of pregnancy problems, and the number of children. Policymakers should improve healthcare facilities' availability, expand health insurance coverage, and educate women about the importance of ANC. This finding might be relevant in developing countries with similar health infrastructure situation.

We Won't Go There: Barriers to Accessing Maternal and Newborn Care in District Thatta, Pakistan

Accessibility and utilization of healthcare plays a significant role in preventing complications during pregnancy, labor, and the early postnatal period. However, multiple barriers can prevent women from accessing services. The aim of this study was to explore the multifaceted barriers that inhibit women from seeking maternal and newborn health care in Thatta, Sindh, Pakistan. This study employed an interpretive research design using a purposive sampling approach. Pre-tested, semi-structured interview guides were used for data collection. The data were collected through eight focus group discussions with men and women, and six in-depth interviews with lady health workers and analyzed through thematic analysis. The study identified individual, sociocultural, and structural-level barriers that inhibit women from seeking maternal and newborn care. Individual barriers included mistrust towards public health facilities and inadequate symptom recognition. The three identified sociocultural barriers were aversion to biomedical interventions, gendered imbalances in decision making, and women’s restricted mobility. The structural barriers included ineffective referral systems and prohibitively expensive transportation services. Increasing the coverage of healthcare service without addressing the multifaceted barriers that influence service utilization will not reduce the burden of maternal and neonatal mortality. As this study reveals, care seeking is influenced by a diverse array of barriers that are individual, sociocultural, and structural in nature. A combination of capacity development, health awareness, and structural interventions can address many if not all of these barriers.

Magnitude and Determinants of Antenatal Care Utilization in Kandahar City, Afghanistan

Background

Women's and children's health is a crucial public health concern that epitomizes the universal platform for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Appropriate and timely care during pregnancy can improve maternal and child health.

Objectives

The present study aimed at determining the magnitude and determinants of antenatal care services' utilization in Kandahar city.

Methods

A community-based cross-sectional study involving 850 women with at least one delivery in the last 2 years was carried out in Kandahar city from January to February 2021. Questionnaires to record information on sociodemographic, reproductive, and antenatal care- (ANC-) related characteristics were administered. Data were analyzed using SPSS 21.00 statistical software. We used descriptive statistics such as frequency and percentages to present the data. Determinants of antenatal care services' utilization were determined using a multivariable logistic regression model.

Results

Among all study participants, 589 (69.3%, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 66.0%-72.4%) of study participants utilized antenatal care services at least once. However, only 22% of the women were utilizing the recommended ≥4 ANC visits. Factors that remained significantly associated with antenatal care services' utilization in multivariable analysis included women's educational status (adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 2.0, 95% CI: 1.0-4.3), pregnancy intention (AOR = 2.1, 95% CI: 1.1-3.4), and place of residence (AOR = 1.7, 95% CI: 1.1-2.6).

Conclusion

This study has found high rates (vs. the national level) of antenatal care services' utilization among women who had at least one delivery in the last 2 years. However, the rate of recommended ≥4 ANC visits was low. Factors determining antenatal care utilization such as educational status of the mother, pregnancy intention, and place of residence hold the key to address the issue of ANC services lower utilization and consequently improve maternal and fetal health.

Factors Associated with Numbers of Antenatal Care Visits in Rural Ethiopia

INTRODUCTION

Antenatal care (ANC) is a medical care and procedure carried out for pregnant women. Data on ANC visits can help policymakers show gaps in service provision. Therefore, this study assessed the factors associated with the number of ANC visits among women in rural Ethiopia.

METHODS

We included a total of 6611 women who gave birth within 5 years preceding the survey from the 2016 Ethiopian Demographic and Health Survey. A multi-level negative binomial regression analysis was employed to consider the hierarchical nature of the data. In the multivariable analysis, variables with a p-value <0.05 were considered to be significantly associated with the number of ANC visits.

RESULTS

Overall, 27.3% (95% CI: 14.63, 15.76) of women had at least four ANC visits during pregnancy in rural Ethiopia. Among individual level factors, age group 25-29 years (adjusted incidence rate ratio (AIRR)=1.13,95% CI:1.02,1.26), household rich wealth status (AIRR=1.17, 95% CI:1.04,1.31), women's educational status (primary, AIRR=1.19,95% CI:1.08,1.32; secondary, AIRR= 1.30,95% CI:1.08,1.55; above secondary, AIRR=1.35, 95% CI:1.07,1.71), partner educational status (primary, AIRR=1.16, 95% CI:1.05,1.28; secondary, AIRR=1.22,95% CI:1.08,1.38), and autonomy to decision to their care (AIRR=1.25,95% CI:1.10,1.42) were positively associated factors whereas having a birth order of five or more (AIRR=0.80,95% CI: 0.69,0.94) was a negative associated with number of ANC visits. Among community-level variables, being in higher community level literacy (AIRR=1.35, 95% CI: 1.14, 1.59) and higher poverty level (AIRR=0.77, 95% CI: 0.64, 0.92) were significant factors with the number of ANC visits.

CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Women's age, wealth status, women's educational status, partner educational status, autonomy to decision making in health care, and birth order were determinants of the number of ANC visits. Furthermore, poverty and literacy are also important factors at the community level. Addressing economic and educational interventions for rural women should be prioritized.

Correlates of antenatal care utilization among women of reproductive age in sub-Saharan Africa: evidence from multinomial analysis of demographic and health surveys (2010-2018) from 31 countries

Background

Despite a global reduction of about 38% in maternal mortality rate between 2000 and 2017, sub-Saharan Africa is still experiencing high mortality among women. Access to high quality care before, during and after childbirth has been described as one of the effective means of reducing such mortality. In the sub-region, only 52% of women receive at least four antenatal visits. This study examined the factors influencing antenatal care utilization in sub-Saharan Africa.

Methods

Data from Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) of 31 countries involving 235,207 women age 15–49 years who had given birth to children within 5 years of the surveys were used in the study. Multinomial logistic regression model was applied in the analysis.

Results

About 13% of women in sub-Saharan Africa did not utilize antenatal care while 35 and 53% respectively partially and adequately utilized the service. Adequate utilization of antenatal care was highest among women age 25–34 years (53.9%), with secondary or higher education (71.3%) and from the richest households (54.4%). The odds of adequate antenatal care utilization increased for women who are educated up to secondary or higher education level, from richest households, working, living in urban areas, exposed to media and did not experience problem getting to health facility or obtaining permission to visit health facility.

Conclusions

This study has revealed information not only on women who did not utilize antenatal care but also on women who partially and adequately utilized the service. The study concluded that the correlates of antenatal care utilization in sub-Saharan Africa include socioeconomic and demographic factors, getting permission to visit health facility, unwillingness to visit health facility alone and problem encountered in reaching the health facility.

Monitoring the decomposition of wealth-related inequality in the use of regular antenatal care in Egypt (1995-2014)

BACKGROUND

Between 1995 and 2014 Egypt successfully increased the use of regular antenatal care (URAC) among women from 30.4 to 82.9%. The same period saw a decrease in the wealth-based inequality in URAC. This paper investigates the changes in the main determinants contributing to the wealth-based inequality in URAC for the 2 years of 1995 and 2014, and the determinants that underlined the declines in this inequality.

METHODS

The secondary analysis was based on data from the 1995 and 2014 rounds of the Egypt Demographic and Health Survey. Logistic regression was implemented to model URAC for the 2 years and inequality was measured using the concentration index. Decomposition of the concentration index and Blinder -Oaxaca decomposition were implemented to assess the contribution of the URAC determinants to its inequality and the changes between 1995 and 2014.

RESULTS

Decomposition of inequalities in URAC in 1995 and 2014 showed that social determinants were the main contributors to these inequalities. More than 90% of the inequalities were explained by the living in rural Upper Egypt, women and their husbands secondary and higher education, the household standard of living, and birth order. These same determinants were responsible for more than 76% of the decline in the inequality in URAC between 1995 and 2014. Wide spread of poverty in rural Upper Egypt was found to contribute significantly to the inequality in URAC. Women and their husbands who have secondary or higher education maintained their high odds of URAC.

CONCLUSION

Since poverty in rural Upper Egypt, and inequality in education and parity are crucial social determinants of URAC inequality and its change overtime, new policies and interventions need to focus not only on the health system but on social initiatives with an equity lens to tackle the structural causes underlying these factors and their inequalities.