PREVALENCE AND FACTORS AFFECTING THE UTILIZATION OF ANTENATAL CARE IN SANA’A CITY, YEMEN

Samar Abdulhafed Alqadi; Dua’a Jamal Ahmed Mutahar; Khaled Abdul-Karim A Al-Moyed; Ali Mohammed Assabri; Hassan Abdulwahab Al-Shamahy; Azhar Azher Mohammed Al-Ankoshy; Ahmed Mohamed Al-Hadad

doi:10.22270/ujpr.v7i4.789

Samar Abdulhafed Alqadi Arab Board for Medical Specialization Scientific Council for Family and Community Medicine, Jordon.
Dua’a Jamal Ahmed Mutahar Department of community and family medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Science and technology university, Sana’a city.
Khaled Abdul-Karim A Al-Moyed Medical Microbiology and Clinical Immunology Department, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Sana’a University.
Ali Mohammed Assabri Arab Board for Medical Specialization Scientific Council for Family and Community Medicine, Sana’a city, Republic of Yemen.
Hassan Abdulwahab Al-Shamahy Department of community and family medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Science and technology university, Sana’a city. Department of Community Medicine, Dubai Medical College, Dubai Medical University. Dubai, UAE.
Azhar Azher Mohammed Al-Ankoshy abir Ibn Hayyan Medical University, Faculty of medicine, Department of Physiology, An-Najaf, Iraq.
Ahmed Mohamed Al-Hadad Department of Medical Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Hadhramout University, Republic of Yemen.

10.22270/ujpr.v7i4.789

Keywords:

antenatal care, attitude, knowledge, maternal and child health (MCH), practice, Sana'a city, utilization of antenatal care services

Abstract

Back ground and objective: Antenatal care (ANC) is a health care intervention intended to ensure the safety of pregnancy. According to the World Health Organization, at least four ANC visits are recommended for a healthy pregnancy. However, whether this recommended number of visits was followed or not in the urban or rural areas of Yemen is not known. Therefore, the study aimed to investigate the prevalence of, and the associated factors of ANC utilization by pregnant women in the city of Sana’a, Yemen.

Methods: This study is an Institutional based cross-sectional descriptive study of married pregnant women practices toward ANC services. The sample size was calculated by Epi-Info to be 452 participants; multistage sampling was adopted. Data was collected direct interviews using a structured questionnaire with close-ended questions. Local language questionnaire was used. The questionnaire consists of several parts (Demographic characteristics, obstetric history, and practices (utilization of ANC) at 10- Health centers of Sana’a City, Republic of Yemen. Epi-Info was used for data analysis, χ2 was calculated and p. value < 0.05 was considered as a cut off for significance of deference.

Results: The response rate was 99.1%. Only 214 (47.3%) of the respondents have adequate utilization of ANC. Adequate ANC utilization was high in educated mother, educated husband, high and moderate income, mothers with children >5. According to obstetric factors, adequate ANC utilization was high in mothers whose age at first pregnancy was more than 20 years, primigravida and primipara.

Conclusion: The study results highlight the need to increase the number of ANC visits, and the importance of using an appropriate model to determine the important socio-demographic factors that ANC service providers shall focus on to improve the health of the unborn baby and the mother during pregnancy.