ANTENATAL CARE DROPOUT AND ITS ASSOCIATED FACTORS AMONG MOTHERS WHO GAVE BIRTH IN PASTORALIST COMMUNITY OF LIBEN DISTRICT, EAST BORENA ZONE, OROMIA REGION, SOUTHERN ETHIOPIA

Abstract

Women in resource-constrained countries like Ethiopia may be unlikely to take advantage of opportunities to have better maternal outcomes because of suboptimal prenatal care use. This suboptimal prenatal care use among Ethiopian women contributes to a high rate of maternal and neonatal mortality. The inconclusive ideas were reported regarding rural residency and antenatal care dropout. Pregnant women in the Liben district may struggle to attend antenatal care visits due to the precarious living conditions of the pastoralist communities. Objective: To assess the prevalence of antenatal care dropout and its associated factors among mothers who gave birth in the Liben district, East Borena, Zone, Southeast Ethiopia from November 1st to 30th 2023. Methods: A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted from November 1st to 30th 2023 in the Liben district. A simple random sampling technique was used to select 629 women who gave birth in the past 12 months. The data were collected using a pretested, structured questionnaire through an interview. Descriptive statistics, including proportions, medians, tables, and charts, were used to describe the characteristics of the study participants. Binary logistic regression analysis was used to identify factors associated with ANC dropout. The model fitness was checked by the Hosmer and Lemeshow Test. The significance at a p- value less than 0.05. Results: The prevalence ANC dropout rate was 83.3% (95% CI: 83%, 86%). Not attending formal education [AOR: 1.81; 95% CI: 1.09, 3.02], unplanned pregnancies [AOR: 3.1; 95% CI: 1.22, 8.12], dissatisfaction with service delivery [AOR: 2.6; 95% CI: 1.41, 4.77], poor knowledge of ANC [AOR: 1.75; 95% CI: 1.09, 2.81], and late ANC booking [AOR: 2.3; 95% CI: 1.34, 3.82] were associated with ANC dropout. Conclusion: Almost four in five study participants dropped out of the ANC service. We recommend improving patient-provider communication, enlightening women, encouraging early initiation of ANC contacts, and increasing equity-focused efforts to improve uptake of ANC contacts