Diferenciais nos fatores de risco para a mortalidade infantil em cinco cidades brasileiras: um estudo de caso-controle com base no SIM e no SINASC

[Social inequalities in under-five mortality: a systematic review]

OBJECTIVE

To identify the characteristics of the published studies on social inequalities in under-five mortality, their theoretical perspectives, axes of inequality, methods and results.

METHOD

We carried out a systematic literature review. We consulted four electronic databases and Google Scholar, for studies published between 2010 and 2018.

RESULTS

We analyzed 126 articles. In 62.7%, territory was studied as the axis of inequality, followed by socioeconomic determinants (27.8%). Neonatal, infant and under-five mortality was analyzed as an output in health in 19.0%, 49.2% and 32.3%, respectively. It predominated ecological (62.7%) and longitudinal (50.0%) studies. Significant reductions in mortality rates were found, however, the decline was not homogeneous among subpopulations.

CONCLUSIONS

The literature reports a marked decrease in under-five mortality; however, the gaps between different axes of inequality continue and in some cases they have increased. Gaps varied according to time, place, axis of inequality and type of mortality analyzed.

Risk factors related to preventable infant mortality in Espirito Santo, Brazil

Objective

To analyse the factors associated with preventable of infant mortality, in Espirito Santo, Brazil.

Methods

Data were collected from records of notifiable of infant death of the Mortality Information System. A total of 5,089 infant deaths were classified as preventable and non-preventable according to the International Collaborative Effort on Infant Mortality (ICE) and the State System of Data Analysis Foundation (SEADE) methods. To investigate the factors associated with preventable of deaths, it was applied the logistic regression.

Results

Approximately, 73% of the deaths were preventable according to the ICE, while 76% were preventable according to the SEADE method. Using to both methods, it was observed that preterm birth, postneonatal death and birth weight between 3000 and above 4,000 g represented higher chances for preventable infant deaths. Furthermore, the medical care was more likely to preventable infant death only for ICE method.

Conclusions

The factors related to the quality of care offered in the prenatal, prepartum and childbirth periods were more relevant for the occurrence of preventable infant death. Accordingly, it is recommended to strengthen mother-child care to detect risk pregnancies during prenatal care, as well as a hierarchical, regionalized and integrated perinatal network.

Infant mortality in the Metropolitan Region of São Paulo: an ecological study

Objective

To determine the impact of risk factors on infant mortality in the Metropolitan Region of São Paulo according to maternal and neonate characteristics, as well as mode of delivery.

Methods

An ecological, quantitative study based on secondary data retrieved from infant mortality and live birth data systems. Data from 39 municipalities located in the Metropolitan Region of São Paulo were analyzed. Newborn and maternal variables were extracted from the Information Technology Department of the Unified Health System. Absolute and relative frequencies were presented, as well as linear regression and Pearson´s correlation coefficient.

Results

The following maternal profile prevailed from 2006 to 2016: 8 to 11 years of education (β=73.58; p=0.023), age between 30 and 34 years (β=19.04; p=0.015) and delivery by cesarean section (β=39.59; p=0.009) after full-term pregnancy (β=-14.20; p=0.324). Mortality rates decreased in neonates compared to other age groups (β=-25.30; p<0.001). Infant mortality rates tended to be higher among women experiencing pre-term (r=0.86; p<0.001) or post-term (r=0.95; p<0.001) gestation.

Conclusion

Maternal age and level of education increased among women giving birth in the Metropolitan Region of São Paulo from 2006 to 2016. These were relevant factors for infant mortality rate reduction.

INFANT MORTALITY AND FAMILY HEALTH STRATEGY IN THE 3RD HEALTH REGIONAL OF PARANÁ, FROM 2005 TO 2016

Objective:

To analyze the temporal trend in infant mortality and in populational coverage by the Family Health Strategy and associated factors with infant mortality in the municipalities of the 3^rd Health Regional of Paraná, Southern Brazil.

Methods:

Ecological time series study, with data from the Mortality Information System (Sistema de Informação Sobre Mortalidade - SIM), the Live Birth Information System (Sistema de Informação Sobre Nascidos Vivos - SINASC) and the Support Room for Strategic Management (Sala de Apoio à Gestão Estratégica - SAGE), from 2005 to 2016. Trends were calculated using polynomial regression. The associated factors with infant mortality were maternal, perinatal and obstetric variables. The significance level adopted was 5%.

Results:

Between 2005 and 2016, there were 115,796 births and 1,575 deaths of children under 1 year of age. Considering the municipalities together, the populational coverage by the Family Health Strategy went from 43.8% in 2005 to 66.4% in 2016 and the infant mortality from 17.1/1,000 live births in 2005 to 10.7/1,000 live births in 2016. The trend over time of populational coverage by the Family Health Strategy was crescent and of infant mortality was decrescent, for most municipalities. The factors associated with greater chances of death in children under 1 year of age were preterm gestational age (Odds Ratio - OR=15.05; 95% confidence interval - 95CI% 13.54-16.72), low birth weight (OR=15.14; 95%CI 13.61-16.84), multiple gestation (OR=4.51; 95%CI 3.74-5.45) and mother with up to 7 years of study (OR=1.93; 95%CI 1.74-2.14).

Conclusions:

Crescent trend in coverage by the Family Health Strategy was accompanied by a decrescent trend in infant mortality. The results can be a source of information for the strengthening of mother-child health actions, considering local and regional specificities.

The influence of the municipal human development index and maternal education on infant mortality: an investigation in a retrospective cohort study in the extreme south of Brazil

Background

Infant mortality is considered an important and sensitive health indicator in several countries, especially in underdeveloped and developing countries. Most of the factors influencing infant mortality are interrelated and are the result of social issues. Therefore, this study performed an investigation of the influence of the MHDI and maternal education on infant mortality in a capital in the extreme south of Brazil.

Methods

It is a retrospective cohort study with data on births and deaths in the first year of life for the period of 2000–2017. The association between the independent variables and the outcome was done by bivariate analysis through simple Poisson regression. The variables that can potentially be considered confounding factors were used in a multiple Poisson regression for robust variances - adjusted model.

Results

The study included 317,545 children, of whom 3107 died. The medium MHDI showed associated with infant death in the first year of life. Maternal education, individually and jointly analyzed with the MHDI, showed association with the outcome of infant death in the first year of life, particularly for children of mothers with lower maternal education (p < 0.001). In relation to other related factors, maternal age; number of Prenatal Care Consultations; gestational age, weight, gender and Apgar Index (5th minute) of the newborn showed association with IM (p < 0.001).

Conclusions

The HDI is considered a good predictor of infant mortality by some authors and the analyzes of the present study also confirm an association of the medium MHDI and its low MHDIE component with infant mortality. In addition, it was maternal education with less than 8 years of study that that demonstrated a higher risk of death, revealing itself to be a social determinant with a relevant impact on infant mortality. Thus, it is possible to conclude that maternal education is available information, and it is superior to the MHDI to assess the infant mortality outcome.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12889-021-10226-9.

EARLY NEONATAL NEAR MISS IN A UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL: COMPARATIVE CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY

OBJECTIVE

To compare 2012 and 2016 data on early neonatal near miss indicators from Health Information Systems at a university hospital.

METHODS

This is a cross-sectional study conducted in 2012 and 2016. We considered early neonatal near misses the live births that presented one of the following risk conditions at birth: gestational age <33 weeks, birth weight <1,750g or 5-minute Apgar score <7, or Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) admission, and were alive until the 7th day of life. Data were collected from the Live Birth Information System, Hospital Information System, and Mortality Information System. We calculated the early neonatal mortality rate, neonatal near miss rate, severe neonatal outcome rate, early neonatal survival index, and early neonatal mortality index, compared by year of birth.

RESULTS

In 2012, 304 early neonatal near misses were registered, with a higher proportion of cases with very low birth weight and mothers who had zero to three prenatal visits. In 2016, the number of cases was 243, with a predominance of more NICU admissions. The incidence of early neonatal deaths and early neonatal near misses was higher in 2012 than in 2016.

CONCLUSIONS

Neonatal near miss indicators identified difference between years. The cases were more severe in 2012 and there were more NICU admissions in 2016.

[Individual and contextual determinants of infant mortality in Brazilian state capitals: a multilevel approach]

The study sought to identify individual and contextual risk factors in healthcare and their interactions and regional differences in the determination of infant mortality in Brazilian state capitals. This was a case-control study that analyzed 7,470 infant deaths in 2012 in the 27 state capitals, recorded in the Brazilian Mortality Information System (SIM) and matched with the Brazilian Information System on Live Births (SINASC) through linkage and 24,285 controls obtained by sampling the surviving liveborn infants from 2011 to 2012 from the total of 1,424,691 births. The individual explanatory variables corresponded to information available in the SINASC database, and the contextual variable consisted of a quality index for hospital care in the 702 healthcare services where the births occurred. A multilevel logistic model was used to analyze interaction. The principal determinants of infant mortality were biological factors (low birthweight, prematurity, congenital malformations, severe/moderate asphyxia, and race/color), mediated by maternal socioeconomic factors (schooling, marital status, and occupation) and insufficiency of prenatal care. Low number of prenatal visits was a risk factor for infant mortality, independently of the service's quality, except in the state capitals in the South of Brazil. In the interaction between income and prenatal care, few prenatal visits and birth in high-income state capitals showed a higher risk when compared to births in low-income state capitals (OR = 0.68). Multilevel analysis evidenced regional inequalities in the risk models and reiterated the importance of biological determinants in the mediation of socioeconomic and healthcare factors in infant mortality.

Adequacy of prenatal care, diagnosis and treatment of syphilis in pregnancy: a study with open data from Brazilian state capitals

To assess the adequacy of prenatal care offered in the Brazilian capital cities and the diagnosis of gestational syphilis through public data from health information systems. The modified Kotelchuck index for adequacy of prenatal care was built using Brazilian Information System on Live Births (SINASC) data. Data on gestational syphilis, congenital syphilis, estimated population coverage by the Family Health Strategy (FHS), the Municipal Human Development Index (MHDI) and data from National Program for Access and Quality Improvement in Primary Care (PMAQ-AB) were accessed in public sites. The profile of pregnant women associated with inadequate care was assessed by logistic regression. In total, 685,286 births were analyzed. Only 2.3% of women did not attend prenatal appointments. The mean adequacy was 79.7%. No correlation was found between adequacy of prenatal care and FHS coverage (p = 0.172), but a positive correlation was found with the MHDI (p < 0.001). Inadequacy of prenatal care was associated with age below 20 years old, schooling less than 4 years, non-white skin color and not having a partner. Among the congenital syphilis cases, 17.2% of mothers did not attend prenatal care. Gestational syphilis more often affected vulnerable women, including a higher proportion of adolescents, women with low schooling, and women of non-white color. The PMAQ-AB showed a median availability of 27.3% for syphilis rapid tests, 67.7% for benzathine penicillin, and 86.7% for benzathine penicillin administration by health teams. The use of public data showed a low adequacy of prenatal care in Brazilian capitals, denoting insufficient quality for the diagnosis and treatment of gestational syphilis, despite the availability of supplies. Continuous monitoring can be carried out using public data, indicating to local strategies to eliminate congenital syphilis.

Regression Model to Evaluate the Impact of Basic Sanitation Services in Households and Schools on Child Mortality in the Municipalities of the State of Alagoas, Brazil

The aim of this article is to measure the impact of basic sanitation services on the mortality rate of children under five years of age (U5MR) in the municipalities of the State of Alagoas, Brazil. A multivariate multiple linear regression model was applied for all 102 cities of Alagoas for data years 1991, 2000 and 2010. The research findings are evidence that access to basic sanitation services in the municipalities of the State of Alagoas, especially household sanitary sewage, is associated with a statistically significant reduction of U5MR, p   <   0.01 . The estimates show that the 10% increase in access to household sanitary sewage is associated to a reduction of 5.7 deaths per 1000 born alive (BA). Based on a simulation of universal basic access sanitation services in the municipalities of the State of Alagoas, it is observed that only this public policy would be able to reduce child mortality by more than 94%. The end results of this study are important subsidies to guide basic sanitation policies not only in the State of Alagoas, Brazil, but also in developing regions all over the world, considering the evidences of social and environmental impact.

Can the primary health care model affect the determinants of neonatal, post-neonatal and maternal mortality? A study from Brazil

BACKGROUND

The state of São Paulo recorded a significant reduction in infant mortality from 1990 to 2013, but the desired reduction in maternal mortality was not achieved. Knowledge of the factors with impact on these indicators would be of help in formulating public policies. The aims of this study were to evaluate the relations between socioeconomic and demographic factors, health care model and both infant mortality (considering the neonatal and post-neonatal dimensions) and maternal mortality in the state of São Paulo, Brazil.

METHODS

In this ecological study, data from national official open sources were used to conduct a population-based study. The units analyzed were 645 municipalities in the state of São Paulo, Brazil. For each municipality, the infant mortality (in both neonatal and post-neonatal dimensions) and maternal mortality rates were calculated for every 1000 live births, referring to 2013. Subsequently, the association between these rates, socioeconomic variables, demographic models and the primary care organization model in the municipality were verified. For statistical analysis, we used the zero-inflated negative binomial model. Gross analysis was performed and then multiple regression models were estimated. For associations, we adopted "p" at 5%.

RESULTS

The increase in the HDI of the city and proportion of Family Health Care Strategy implemented were significantly associated with the reduction in both infant mortality (neonatal + post-neonatal) and maternal mortality rates. In turn, the increase in birth and caesarean delivery rates were associated with the increase in infant and maternal mortality rates.

CONCLUSIONS

It was concluded that the Family Health Care Strategy was a Primary Care organization model that contributed to the reduction in infant (neonatal + post-neonatal) and maternal mortality rates, and so did actors such as HDI and cesarean section. Thus, public health managers should prefer this model when planning the organization of Primary Care services for the population.

Fetal and infant mortality of congenital syphilis reported to the Health Information System

Background

Congenital syphilis (CS) is a major cause of mortality in several countries, especially in Latin America and the Caribbean. This study aimed to analyze fetal and infant mortality of CS reported to the Health Information System in a State in Northeastern Brazil.

Methods and results

This was a cross-sectional study that analyzed the deaths of CS from 2010 to 2014 through the linkage of the Mortality Information System (SIM) and the Notifiable Diseases Information System (Sinan). The Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 23.0 was used to calculate the rates of Fetal, Perinatal, Neonatal (early and late), and Postneonatal Mortality. Simple linear regression was performed. Fisher's exact test or Pearson's chi-square test were used for comparison of proportions and Student's t-test was used for comparison of means.

Of the 414 cases reported to the SIM as deaths possibly caused by CS, 44 (10.6%) presented CS as the underlying cause. From 2010 to 2014 the Infant Mortality Rate of CS was 16.3 per 100,000 live births (y = 0.65x + 14.33, R² = 0.2338, p = 0.003). There was an 89.4% underreporting of deaths. Perinatal deaths and fetal deaths of CS accounted for 87.7% and 73.9% of total deaths, respectively.

Conclusions

The results of the study revealed a significant Fetal and Infant Mortality rate of CS and demonstrated the importance of using the linkage method in studies that involve the analysis of secondary data obtained from mortality and disease reporting systems. The underreporting of CS as a cause of fetal and infant mortality leads to unawareness of the reality of deaths from this disease, hindering the development of public policies aimed at its prevention.

Mortalidade infantil e serviços de Atenção Primária à Saúde em Porto Alegre (RS), Brasil

Introdução: O Coeficiente de Mortalidade Infantil, indicador das condições sociais e de saúde da população, tem capacidade para orientar a proposição de políticas públicas, instalação e previsão de recursos humanos em saúde. Territórios com elevada mortalidade infantil tendem a ser mais vulneráveis e a necessitarem de uma atenção primária bem estruturada. Objetivo: Mapear a mortalidade infantil e descrever a distribuição geográfica dos serviços e recursos humanos de atenção primária (concentração e “vazios” assistenciais) em Porto Alegre, nos anos 2010 e 2014. Métodos: Estudo descritivo, delineamento ecológico, com emprego de dados secundários disponíveis em sistemas de informações em saúde. O tratamento dos dados ocorreu pelo framework Enyalius. Resultados: Dos 143 serviços, 65% possuem saúde da família, com cobertura de 36,5% da população. Os usuários adscritos por serviço variam de 700 a 115.673 habitantes; 35% dos serviços possuem menos de 4.000 habitantes adscritos. A distribuição de médicos e enfermeiros variou de 0,14 a 5,71 por 4.000 habitantes. Serviços com elevada densidade populacional possuem modelo operacional tradicional e déficit de profissionais. As regiões das Ilhas e do Extremo Sul, locais com elevada mortalidade infantil, apresentam, em maior área territorial, número adequado de médicos e enfermeiros. Observou-se elevada heterogeneidade na distribuição da mortalidade infantil (zero a 52,63 por 1.000 nascidos vivos) em 2014. Conclusão: Um terço da população de Porto Alegre é assistida pela saúde da família. Locais com elevada mortalidade infantil apresentaram número de médicos e enfermeiros próximo ao preconizado. Esse estudo é gerador de hipótese para futuras investigações epidemiológicas na área de atenção primária.

Use of linkage to improve the completeness of the SIM and SINASC in the Brazilian capitals

OBJECTIVE

To analyze the contribution of linkage between databases of live births and infant mortality to improve the completeness of the variables common to the Mortality Information System (SIM) and the Live Birth Information System (SINASC) in Brazilian capitals in 2012.

METHODS

We studied 9,001 deaths of children under one year registered in the SIM in 2012 and 1,424,691 live births present in the SINASC in 2011 and 2012. The databases were related with linkage in two steps – deterministic and probabilistic. We calculated the percentage of incompleteness of the variables common to the SIM and SINASC before and after using the technique.

RESULTS

We could relate 90.8% of the deaths to their respective declarations of live birth, most of them paired deterministically. We found a higher percentage of pairs in Porto Alegre, Curitiba, and Campo Grande. In the capitals of the North region, the average of pairs was 84.2%; in the South region, this result reached 97.9%. The 11 variables common to the SIM and SINASC had 11,278 incomplete fields cumulatively, and we could recover 91.4% of the data after linkage. Before linkage, five variables presented excellent completeness in the SINASC in all Brazilian capitals, but only one variable had the same status in the SIM. After applying this technique, all 11 variables of the SINASC became excellent, while this occurred in seven variables of the SIM. The city of birth was significantly associated with the death component in the quality of the information.

CONCLUSIONS

Despite advances in the coverage and quality of the SIM and SINASC, problems in the completeness of the variables can still be identified, especially in the SIM. In this perspective, linkage can be used to qualify important information for the analysis of infant mortality.

Tendência da mortalidade neonatal na cidade de Salvador (Bahia-Brasil), 1996-2012

Objetivos:analisar a tendência da mortalidade neonatal, principais causas e potenciais fatores de risco, em Salvador-Bahia, 1996-2012.Métodos:estudo de série temporal tendo como fontes de dados os Sistemas de Informação sobre Mortalidade e sobre Nascidos Vivos/NV e Cadastro Nacional de Estabelecimentos de Saúde. Parâmetros da tendência temporal do coeficiente de mortalidade neonatal/CMN e da proporção de NV segundo características maternas, do recém-nascido e de atenção à saúde foram obtidos mediante Regressão Linear Simples. Coeficiente de Correlação de Spearman avaliou relação entre estas variáveis.Resultados:observou-se declínio de 21,2% no CMN, principalmente devido ao componente precoce (β= - 0,730; p=0,006; R2= 0,423). Acompanhou esta tendência, a proporção de NV de mães adolescentes e sem instrução. A proporção de NV de mães com idade > 35 anos, nascimentos prematuros e de partos cesáreos exibiram crescimento. Predominaram mortes neonatais por Infecções específicas do período perinatal (13,2%), Hipóxia intrauterina/Asfixia ao nascer (8,4%) e Transtornos relacionados à prematuridade/baixo peso ao nascer (15,9%), estas últimas com tendência de crescimento (β= 1,319; p=0,006; R2= 0,428).Conclusões:a mortalidade neonatal e potenciais fatores de risco estão decrescendo em Salvador. Iniciativas voltadas para melhoria da atenção ao recém-nascido e das condições de vida da população podem estar contribuindo para esta tendência.

A contribuição do linkage entre o SIM e SINASC para a melhoria das informações da mortalidade infantil em cinco cidades brasileiras

Objetivos: analisar a contribuição do linkage entre o Sistema de Informações sobre mortalidade (SIM) e o Sistema de informações sobre nascidos vivos (SINASC) para a melhoria da qualidade dos dados de mortalidade infantil (MI) em cinco cidades, sendo uma de cada macrorregião brasileira. Métodos: analisaramse os óbitos de menores de um ano registrados no SIM em 2005 e os nascidos vivos em 2004 e 2005 contidos no SINASC. As bases de dados foram relacionadas através do linkage. Verificouse a associação estatística entre o relacionamento dos dados e as cidades e os componentes da MI, bem como o percentual de incompletude dasvariáveis antes e após o linkage. Resultados: 90% dos óbitos foram relacionados à declaração de nascido vivo, sendo as cidades de Belém e Goiânia onde se obteve a menor proporção de registros pareados. Porto Alegre apresentou maior percentual de pares, seguida de Guarulhos e Recife. Verificouse uma influência significativa entre a cidade da criança e o componente do óbito na qualidade da informação. Dos 2464 campos incompletos para as variáveis comuns aos sistemas, 92% foram recuperados após o relacionamento das bases. Conclusões: a utilização dessa técnica possibilitou qualificar das estatísticas vitais e demonstrou o potencial de aplicação dessa estratégia na vigilância do óbito infantil nos serviços de saúde.

Inequalities in health: living conditions and infant mortality in Northeastern Brazil

OBJECTIVE

To analyze the variation of infant mortality as per condition of life in the urban setting.

METHODS

Ecological study performed with data regarding registered deaths of children under the age of one who resided in Aracaju, SE, Northeastern Brazil, from 2001 to 2010. Infant mortality inequalities were assessed based on the spatial distribution of the Living Conditions Index for each neighborhood, classified into four strata. The average mortality rates of 2001-2005 and 2006-2010 were compared using the Student’s t-test.

RESULTS

Average infant mortality rates decreased from 25.3 during 2001-2005 to 17.7 deaths per 1,000 live births in 2006-2010. Despite the decrease in the rates in all the strata during that decade, inequality of infant mortality risks increased in neighborhoods with worse living conditions compared with that in areas with better living conditions.

CONCLUSIONS

Infant mortality rates in Aracaju showed a decline, but with important differences among neighborhoods. The assessment based on a living condition perspective can explain the differences in the risks of infant mortality rates in urban areas, highlighting health inequalities in infant mortality as a multidimensional issue.

Utilização do métodolinkage na identificação dos fatores de risco associados à mortalidade infantil: revisão integrativa da literatura

A preocupação mundial em relação à mortalidade infantil ganhou visibilidade com a divulgação no ano 2000 dos Objetivos do Desenvolvimento do Milênio, em que sua redução ganha destaque com a meta de número quatro, que propõe diminuir em dois terços sua taxa para crianças menores de cinco anos, no período entre 1990 e 2015. Reduzir a mortalidade infantil tem sido uma das prioridades das políticas sociais de saúde do governo brasileiro. A identificação de fatores de risco relacionados com a mortalidade infantil pode auxiliar no planejamento de ações para a reestruturação e melhoria da assistência à gestante e aos recém-nascidos, visando à redução da mortalidade infantil. Nesta perspectiva, o presente estudo tem como objetivo analisar a utilização do método de linkage na identificação de fatores de risco associados à mortalidade infantil. Utilizou-se a Revisão Integrativa da Literatura. Foram analisados oito artigos na íntegra publicados entre 2008 e 2013, através dos descritores: mortalidade infantil, fatores de risco e sistemas de informação. O uso da técnica de linkage mostrou-se bastante útil, permitindo a adequada investigação dos fatores mais fortemente relacionados à mortalidade infantil, mostrando sua relevância para o estudo de problemas de saúde pública.

Individual and local level factors and antenatal care use in Colombia: a multilevel analysis

This paper examined the association between individual and local level factors and the number of antenatal care visits completed by women in Colombia using data from the 2010 Colombian Demographic and Health Survey and multilevel logistic regression models. Our findings suggest that, in addition to maternal socioeconomic status, contextual factors influence whether pregnant women complete the minimum recommended number of antenatal care visits. These factors include: level of women’s autonomy in the community, regional inequalities and access barriers caused by distance (OR = 0.057), costs of services (OR = 0.035), and/or a lack of confidence in doctors (OR = 0.036). Our results highlight the existence of inequalities in access to antenatal care and the importance of considering the local context in the design of effective maternal care policies in Colombia. Furthermore, our findings regarding individual factors corroborate the evidence from other countries and offer new insights into the association between local level factors and number of antenatal care visits.