Utilizing a Minimum of Four Antenatal Care Visits and Associated Factors in Debre Berhan Town, North Shewa, Amhara, Ethiopia, 2020

Abstract

Background

Receiving a minimum of four antenatal care, as per the World Health Organization recommendation, enhances the possibility of utilizing effective maternal health care during antenatal follow-up. Hence, this study aimed to identify the level of a minimum of 4 ANC usage and factors associated with Debre Berhan town.

Methods

A community-based cross-sectional study was employed from February 20 to March 10/2020 among women who gave birth in the last 6 months before the data collection period in Debre Berhan town. Data were collected using face-to-face interviews with the pre-tested tool by trained data collectors from randomly selected participants. After entering the data into Epi-data software version 3.1, it was further processed using SPSS version 23 statistical package. Both bivariate and multivariable Logistic regressions were fitted to identify the determinants for the utilization of a minimum of 4 antenatal care. A significance level of 0.05 was used to decide the significance of statistical tests.

Results

A total of 390 women were interviewed giving a response rate of 99.2%. In this study, 78.5% (95% CI: 74.4–82.6) of women received a minimum of four antenatal care visits. Maternal educational status, initiation of antenatal visit at ≤16 weeks of gestation, and husband support/partner involvement were identified predictors of utilization of minimum 4 antenatal visits.

Conclusion and Recommendations

Use of at least four antenatal visits in Debre Berhan town was found to be good. Health promotion programs targeting mothers with no education and lower educational level are important to increase their awareness about the importance of antenatal services. Male partner involvement during care related to pregnancy and promoting early initiation of antenatal care is important to overcome challenges towards a minimum of 4 antenatal visits in Debre Berhan town.

Keywords:

• minimum four antenatal
• utilization
• Ethiopia

Acknowledgment

First of all, we would like to thank God for giving us the courage and wisdom to do our work. Then, we would like to mention and pass our acknowledgment to Debre Berhan University, friends, and colleagues. We finally thank data collectors and supervisors for their commitment during the data collection process.

Abbreviations

ANC, antenatal care; AOR, Adjusted Odds Ratio; BSc, Bachelor of Science; CI, Confidence Interval; COR, Crude Odds Ratio; AOR, adjusted odds ratio; SD, Standard Deviation; WHO, World Health Organization; SPSS- statistical package for social science; HSTP, Health sector transformation plan; HAD, health development army, RMNCAH, reproductive maternal newborn child and adolescent health; EDHS, Ethiopian demographic health survey; HIV, human immune-deficiency virus.

Data Sharing Statement

The data utilized to support the result of this study will be available from the corresponding author based on reasonable request.

Consent for Publication

Not applicable

Author Contributions

All authors made a significant contribution to the work reported, whether that is in the conception, study design, execution, acquisition of data, analysis, and interpretation, or in all these areas; took part in drafting, revising, or critically reviewing the article; gave final approval of the version to be published; have agreed on the journal to which the article has been submitted, and agree to be accountable for all aspects of the work.

Disclosure

The authors of this paper declare that we have no conflict of interests.

Additional information

Funding

The whole required (material and humanitarian) cost for this research work was covered by Debre Berhan University.