Predictors of early initiation of antenatal care at an emerging teaching hospital in southwestern Nigeria
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Abstract
Background: Antenatal care (ANC) is a preventive and stabilizing arm of the comprehensive maternity care, linking preconception care with intrapartum and postpartum care. It is one of the important prongs of safe motherhood initiatives. Despite the proven benefits of early booking, significant number of pregnant women in Nigeria still book late Objective: The study sought to determine the prevalence and predictors of early initiation of ANC at Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital (EKSUTH), Ekiti State, Nigeria. Materials and methods: This study was an observational and prospective study carried out in Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital (EKSUTH), Ado Ekiti in southwestern Nigeria from 1st January 2018 to 31st December 2018. Data collected were entered and analysed using Statistical Software for Social Sciences version 20 (SPSS 20, IBM, Chicago). Continuous variables were analysed using mean and standard deviation while categorical variables were presented in frequency and percentages. Tests of significance of differences were done at P value of less than 0.05 using Student’s t-test for continuous variables and Chi-square test for categorical and discrete variables and with confidence interval set at 95%. Results: The total number of booked patients recorded over the study period was 1,655; out of which 231 booked within 14weeks of getting pregnant, giving a prevalence of early initiation of ANC of 14%. Previous miscarriages, gestational diabetes mellitus, health insurance and maternal educational status were statistically significant predictors of early initiation of antenatal booking.Conclusion: There is a pressing need to intensify efforts on education and advocacy on the need for early initiation of antenatal booking. This should cut across social gatherings like community meetings, churches, mosques, antenatal classes and various arms of social media.
Keywords: Predictors, Initiation of antenatal care, Teaching hospital, Southwest, Nigeria
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