Awareness and Utilisation of Antenatal care among Pregnant Women in Uromi, Esan North East Local Government Area, Edo State

Abstract

Antenatal care (ANC) plays an important role in reducing maternal morbidity and mortality risks by making available the needed preventive and diagnostic services this study aims to assess the level of awareness, the extent of utilization and to identify the factors influencing antenatal care (ANC) services among women in Esan North East Local Government Area, Uromi, Edo State. Three specific objectives with corresponding research questions and hypotheses guided the study. A descriptive cross-sectional study design was used. The study population consisted of 1505 pregnant women utilizing antenatal care services in Uromi, Esan North East Local Government Area, with a sampling population of 373. A 30-item researcher-designed questionnaire was used for data collection. The instrument's validity was established by two experts from the Department of Nursing Sciences at the College of Health Sciences, Igbinedion University, Okada. Frequencies and percentages were used to answer the research questions, and chi-square statistics were used to test the null hypotheses regarding awareness and utilization of antenatal care services among pregnant women based on age, marital status, educational levels, and occupation. All hypotheses were tested at a .05 alpha level of significance. The results showed that pregnant women in Uromi, Esan North East, had high awareness of antenatal care services (89%), local availability (88.0%), and the importance of visits (90.6%). However, they faced significant barriers such as financial constraints (80.4%), transportation issues (75.6%), and age-related discomfort (98.7%). Despite high awareness and local availability of antenatal care services, pregnant women in Esan North East face significant barriers like financial constraints, transportation issues, and age-related discomfort.