Awareness and Utilization of Antenatal Care Services among Women in Northern Nigeria

Abstract

Background: Utilization of antenatal care is paramount in achieving the MDG goal, and is a resultant effect of knowledge, and attitude of the women to the services [20-25]. There are expedient factors that have been reported in literatures as affecting the utilization of ANC such as religion, education, cultures and traditions of the people, cost etc. Lack of antenatal care and its underuse can result in a variety of unfavorable pregnancy outcomes, including intrauterine growth restriction, low birth weight, and mother and infant death. This study was done to determine the awareness and utilization of ANC in Sokoto State, Nigeria as part of an effort to achieving the millennium development goal. Materials and Methods: This was a descriptive cross-sectional study, adopting the simple random sampling technique and an interviewer administered semi-structured questionnaire. Results and Discussions: The study finds, after assessment, the percentage of Good utilization, Good knowledge and Good Attitude towards ANC services as 52.3%, 72.6% and 67.0% respectively. Crude percentage of utilization of ANC services was 87.0%. Factors influencing utilization identified were marital status and income, with odds ratio of 6.2 (95%CI: 0.88 – 43.39) and 5.4 (95%CI: 1.60 – 18.30) respectively and having p-values of 0.068 and 0.007. Although the women in Sokoto have knowledge of ANC services, their utilization of ANC services is relatively poor. Conclusion: Out of the 87.0% of uptake of ANC, only 52.3% were assessed to have Good utilization score. There is need for interventions to improve utilization of ANC services among women in Sokoto.