Factors influencing utilization of antenatal care services among pregnant women in Ife Central Lga, Osun State Nigeria

Abstract

Antenatal care is a key strategy for reducing maternal and neonatal morbidity and mortality rate because adequate utilization of antenatal health care services is associated with improved maternal and neonatal health outcomes. This study aimed at determining the factors influencing the utilization of antenatal clinic among pregnant women in Ife Central Local Government Area, Osun State, Nigeria. Stratified sampling technique was used to select 102 pregnant women from Ife Central Local Government Area of Osun State, Nigeria. Data were collected using a questionnaire. Both descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyze the data generated and level of significance was set at 5% (0.05). The findings revealed that majority of the respondents 48 (47.1%) first heard of ANC in the hospital. Most of the respondents 85(83.3%) knew the services rendered at antenatal clinic and had adequate knowledge of the importance of antenatal care. The findings also revealed that majority of the respondents 58 (56.9 %) attend ANC regularly; 56(57.1%) booked for antenatal care in the first trimester; and attend on appointment days after booking. The study also showed that majority of the respondents opined that affordability of antenatal services, schedule of ANC, lack of knowledge about the existing services in ANC and Husband's acceptance of the services rendered as the major factors influencing its utilization. The findings also revealed that there was significant association between knowledge, distance, marital status, religion and level of education of respondents under study and their utilization of ANC services with p<0.05 .On the other hand no significant association was found between parity and occupation of respondents under study and their utilization of ANC services with P>0.05.