Predictors of completion of four antenatal care (ANC) visits in central Uganda

Abstract

Antenatal Care Attendance (ANC) is critical to favorable pregnancy outcomes including safe delivery and a healthy baby. World Health Organization recommends that a pregnant woman attends at least four ANC visits attended to by a qualified health worker. However, four ANC attendance remains low in Uganda at 47.6% with Central Uganda at 42% and below the national average. However, there is paucity of information about factors that explain this low ANC attendance in Central Uganda. This study investigated the predictors of completion of four ANC visits among pregnant women in central Uganda.

The 2011 Uganda Demographic Health Survey data was analyzed at three levels that is at univariate level, bivariate level and multivariate level. Factors found to be significantly associated with ANC visits were; distance to the health facility of less than 5 kilometers (OR=1.252, p-value=0.043), desire to have A child at a later time (OR=0.786, p-value=0.040), delivery by caesarian section(OR=1.420, p-value=0.039), being a divorcee relative to having never been married(OR=0.284, p-value=0.049) and delivering from government hospital(OR=1.820, p-value=0.010), a lower level public health facility (OR=2.07, p-value= 0.000) or private hospital / clinic (OR = 1.62, p-value = 0.030) relative to home. The government should invest in ensuring health facilities that offer delivery services are closer tothe population. The population, especially pregnant women should also be sensitized to understand the benefits of delivering from health facilities relative to their homes. Development partners and government also ought to reach out to vulnerable women, especially those divorced and empower them economically so that they can afford to attend ANC when pregnant.