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. 2024 May 31;21(1):73.
doi: 10.1186/s12978-024-01818-w.

Time to initiation of antenatal care and its predictors among pregnant women who delivered in Arba Minch town public health facilities, Gamo Zone, southern Ethiopia, 2023: a retrospective follow-up study

Abebe Gedefaw Belete  1 , Mesfin Kote Debere  2 , Mekdes Kondale Gurara  2 , Negusie Boti Sidamo  2 , Mulugeta Shegaze Shimbre  2   3 , Manaye Yihune Teshale  2   4
Affiliations

Time to initiation of antenatal care and its predictors among pregnant women who delivered in Arba Minch town public health facilities, Gamo Zone, southern Ethiopia, 2023: a retrospective follow-up study

Abebe Gedefaw Belete et al. Reprod Health. .

Abstract

Background: Early antenatal care visit is important for optimal care and health outcomes for women and children. In the study area, there is a lack of information about the time to initiation of antenatal care. So, this study aimed to determine the time to initiation of antenatal care visits and its predictors among pregnant women who delivered in Arba Minch town public health facilities.

Methods: An institution-based retrospective follow-up study was performed among 432 women. A systematic random sampling technique was employed to select the study participants. The Kaplan-Meier survival curve was used to estimate the survival time. A Multivariable Cox proportional hazard regression model was fitted to identify predictors of the time to initiation of antenatal care. An adjusted hazard ratio with a 95% confidence interval was used to assess statistical significance.

Results: The median survival time to antenatal care initiation was 18 weeks (95% CI = (17, 19)). Urban residence (AHR = 2.67; 95% CI = 1.52, 4.71), Tertiary and above level of education of the women (AHR = 1.90; 95% CI = 1.28, 2.81), having pregnancy-related complications in a previous pregnancy (AHR = 1.53; 95% CI = 1.08, 2.16), not having antenatal care for previous pregnancy (AHR = 0.39; 95% CI = 0.21, 0.71) and unplanned pregnancy (AHR = 0.66; 95% CI = 0.48, 0.91) were statistically significant predictors.

Conclusion: Half of the women initiate their antenatal care visit after 18 weeks of their pregnancy which is not in line with the recommendation of the World Health Organization. Urban residence, tertiary and above level of education of the women, having pregnancy-related complications in a previous pregnancy, not having previous antenatal care visits and unplanned pregnancy were predictors of the time to initiation of antenatal care. Therefore, targeted community outreach programs including educational campaigns regarding antenatal care for women who live in rural areas, who are less educated, and who have no previous antenatal care experience should be provided, and comprehensive family planning services to prevent unplanned pregnancy are needed.

Keywords: Antenatal care; Public health facilities; Southern Ethiopia; Time to initiation.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no competing interests.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Overall Kaplan-Meier survival curve of the time to initiation of ANC among pregnant women who delivered in Arba Minch town public health facilities, Gamo zone, Southern Ethiopia, 2023
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Kaplan-Meier survival curve with a long rank test showing differences in survival probability of the time to initiation of ANC by residence, and level of education among pregnant women who delivered in Arba Minch town public health facilities, Gamo zone, southern Ethiopia, 2023
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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