LATE INITIATION OF FIRST ANTENATAL CARE VISIT AND ASSOCIATED FACTORS AMONG PREGNANT WOMEN ATTENDING PUBLIC HEALTH FACILITIES IN BENCH MAJI ZONE, SOUTH WEST ETHIOPIA.

Abstract

Background: Early commencement of antenatal care by pregnant women as well as regular visits has important to early diagnosis and management of complications both related to pregnancy and medical conditions of mother and fetus. World Health Organization recommended a woman without complications should have at least four antenatal care visits, the first of which should take place during the first trimester According to Ethiopian demographic and health survey report of 2016, 80% of pregnant women were late initiate their first antenatal care. In this regard, there is limited information in our study area. The aim of this study was to assess the proportion of late booking first antenatal care visit and the associated factors. Method: Institution based cross-sectional study was conducted from February 01-30 2018. Simple random sampling technique was employed to select the study subjects. A total of 535 women were included in the study. Data were collected using a structured and pre-tested questionnaire; Data was entered in EpiData version 3.1 and SPSS version 22 was used for data analysis. Multivariable logistic regression was carried out to identify factors associated with the outcome variable. P-value less than 0.05 was considered as statistically significant. Result: The proportion of late first antenatal care visit, was 337(66%, 95% CI of 62.7%, 70.3%) Those pregnant women of 25 age and above. (AOR = 1.59, 95% CI: 1.01, 2.48), whose pregnancies were unplanned (AOR=2.23; 95% CI: 1.33, 3.74), perceived right time of ANC after 4 month (AOR=2.34; 95% CI: 1.39, 3.94), attended secondary school (AOR =2.33, 95% CI: 1.05, 5.19), did not get advised (AOR=1.65, 95% CI (1.10, 2.47), and those who confirmed their pregnancy by missing period (AOR=0.61; 95% CI: 0.39, 0.94) were found to be associated with late presentation of first antenatal care. Conclusion: The majority of the pregnant women initiate ANC late. The factors like the status women’s education, age, pregnancy intention, perception on right time of antenatal care and get advise significant by other were found to be associated with late initiation of first antenatal care visit. Therefore, strategies should be designed to intensify advocacy of female education and family planning should be enhanced to prevent unplanned or unwanted pregnancies, maintain local information dissemination network on antenatal care and its right time of commencement should be organized and implemented.