Antenatal Care Attendance And Associated Factors In Gambella Region: A Community Based Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Background: Antenatal care is the care given to pregnant women in order to have a safe pregnancy and a healthy baby. This is one of the most crucial indicators that plays significant role in measuring health status of the mothers and babies as it is one of facing factors with great public health concern worldwide.  However, there is a limited evident as yet in the study area that requires response.

Objective: The aim of this study was to assess the antenatal care attendance in Gambella Region.

Methods: A community based cross-sectional study was applied in Gambella Region. A total of one hundred ninety two mothers were involved in the study from January 15, 2021 up to February 17, 2021 following multi-stages sampling technique. Data were collected using structured maternal interview. To ensure the quality of the data, a pretest of the tool, training of data collectors and field supervision were made. Using statistical package for social science version 25, proportion of antenatal care attendance was computed and variables with p≤0.20 from bi-variable analysis were declared as candidate variables for inclusion into multivariable analysis. Variables with p≤0.05 from multivariable analysis were declared as factors significantly associated with the antenatal care attendance. 

Results: The study resulted in 100% response rate. The proportion of mothers who had antenatal care attendance of at least 4 visits was estimated to be 7.3%.  Furthermore, two factors namely; maternal educational status (AOR = 12.03, 95% CI: (1.13, 127.75)) and maternal employment status (AOR = 18.61, 95% CI: (2.62, 131.90)) were found to be significantly associated with the antenatal care attendance.

Conclusions and recommendations: Low attendance of antenatal care was found in the study area. Maternal educational status and maternal employment status were found to be the most influential factors determining the antenatal care attendance. Based on the conclusions, some recommendations were forwarded to the concerned bodies for the better attention to be paid on the mother education and job opportunities as well as for the conduction of further studies in similar area for better evidence