Frontiers in global women's health最新文献

{"title":"Breastfeeding practices and challenges in women with breast implants in Saudi Arabia: a descriptive study.","authors":"Abeer Orabi","doi":"10.3389/fgwh.2025.1647351","DOIUrl":"10.3389/fgwh.2025.1647351","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Breast augmentation is increasingly common in Saudi Arabia, yet little is known about its effect on breastfeeding. Given cultural norms favoring breastfeeding, understanding lactation outcomes in women with breast implants is vital for informed clinical counseling. This study aims to describe breastfeeding practices and challenges among women in Saudi Arabia with breast implants.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A cross-sectional, descriptive study was conducted using an online survey distributed via social media. The sample included 240 women with a history of breast implants who had given birth in the past five years and were currently breastfeeding. The survey collected data on demographics, surgical history, feeding practices, and perceived breastfeeding challenges. Data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics to assess associations with breastfeeding experiences.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Participants had a mean age of 28.5 years; 50.4% initiated breastfeeding immediately postpartum and 46.3% practiced exclusive breastfeeding. Commonly reported challenges included breastfeeding-related pain (55.0%), perceived insufficient milk supply (48.3%), and nipple or breast issues (48.3%). Supplementary feeding was reported by 49.6% of respondents. Sociodemographic factors such as maternal age, marital status, and number of children were significantly associated with breastfeeding duration (<i>p</i> = 0.041, <i>p</i> = 0.027 and <i>p</i> = 0.026, respectively). Regression analysis revealed that married women had 62% lower odds of breastfeeding beyond six months compared to divorced women (OR=0.38, 95% CI: 0.17-0.87, <i>p</i> = 0.022).</p><p><strong>Discussion: </strong>Breastfeeding is feasible for many women with breast implants in Saudi Arabia; however, some face notable challenges. These findings highlight the need for individualized preoperative counseling and specialized postpartum lactation support to improve outcomes.</p>","PeriodicalId":73087,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in global women's health","volume":"6 ","pages":"1647351"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2025-09-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12436290/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145082628","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Profiling abuse and neglect of women with disabilities: a step towards prevention of mistreatment of vulnerable populations.","authors":"Josephine Savard, Georgios Gavriilidis, Anna Lindblad, Jesse Huang, Milena Zeitelhofer Adzemovic","doi":"10.3389/fgwh.2025.1580691","DOIUrl":"10.3389/fgwh.2025.1580691","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Women with disabilities are at increased risk of violence and neglect, and the physical and psychological barriers to seeking help often lead to prolonged periods of abuse. In addition to being a leading cause of acute injuries and numerous chronic diseases, exposure to violence also negatively affects mental health. The aim of this cross-sectional quantitative data analysis was to investigate potentially distinct experiences of violence among women with disabilities resulting from cerebral palsy (CP), multiple sclerosis (MS), traumatic brain injury (TBI), stroke, arthritis as well as isolated sensory disabilities including visual- or hearing impairment. Indeed, our data shows that type of mistreatment, perpetrators and required personal assistance differ between disability groups. Interestingly, the highest frequency of violence/abuse was observed among women with hearing impairment. Together with MS, this type of disability was also more frequently associated with denial of help with basic needs or prevented use of assistive devices comparing to the other groups. Our results provide an insight into the types of abuse characteristic for certain disability groups, which can help develop more targeted preventive strategies. Furthermore, our findings indicate that prevalence of violence in certain disability groups remains unchanged despite societal efforts, hence calling for further research and more targeted interventions to prevent mistreatment of vulnerable populations.</p>","PeriodicalId":73087,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in global women's health","volume":"6 ","pages":"1580691"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2025-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12434064/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145076590","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Knowledge of obstetrical fistula and its associated factors among reproductive-age women in Ejere Woreda, West Shewa Zone, Oromia Region, Ethiopia: a community-based study.","authors":"Getahun Tiruye, Daba Kejela, Anteneh Dirar, Abel Tibebu Goshu, Teklemariam Gultie","doi":"10.3389/fgwh.2025.1547599","DOIUrl":"10.3389/fgwh.2025.1547599","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Obstetric fistula is a serious and tragic childbirth injury that mainly affects women in resource-limited areas, often leading to social isolation and stigma. While optimal knowledge among women about the prevention, contributing factors, and available treatments for obstetric fistula is crucial for reducing its overall burden, many women in Ethiopia continue to be affected by it and endure its consequences because of a persistent knowledge gap. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the level of knowledge about obstetric fistula and its associated factors among women of reproductive age in Ejere Woreda, West Shewa Zone, Oromia Region, Ethiopia.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted among reproductive-age women in Ejere Woreda, West Shewa Zone, Ethiopia, from 1 to 30 June 2024. A systematic random sampling technique was employed to recruit 770 participants. Data were collected using a pretested structured questionnaire, which was then coded and analyzed using SPSS version 27. Variables with a <i>p</i>-value <0.25 in bivariate logistic regression were included in a multivariable logistic regression to identify significant predictors of women's knowledge about obstetric fistula. A <i>p</i>-value <0.05 at a 95% confidence interval (CI) was used to determine statistically significant associations.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The study found that 46.6% (95% CI: 43.1-50.3) of women had good knowledge about obstetric fistula. Factors significantly associated with the knowledge level of obstetric fistula included being an urban resident [adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 4.12, 95% CI: 2.36-7.19], access to a TV/radio at home (AOR = 2.51, 95% CI: 1.19-5.25), proximity to health facilities (AOR = 4.88, 95% CI: 2.37-10.04), giving birth at health institutions (AOR = 4.62, 95% CI: 2.56-8.33), attending pregnant women's conferences (AOR = 3.42, 95% CI: 1.88-6.22), and having a history of modern contraceptive use (AOR = 4.82, 95% CI: 2.77-8.37).</p><p><strong>Conclusion and recommendations: </strong>Nearly one in two women of childbearing age are knowledgeable about obstetric fistula. The study underscores the need to address the urban-rural disparity in healthcare access and information, enhancing media access, and promoting women's participation in pregnancy conferences to enhance knowledge of obstetric fistula.</p>","PeriodicalId":73087,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in global women's health","volume":"6 ","pages":"1547599"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2025-08-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12426280/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145066358","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Doctors' experiences on dealing with informed consent required for lifesaving interventions for pregnant women in Somalia.","authors":"Ahmed Aweis, Machunde Mauma, Abdulkadir Aweis, Abdulkadir Afrah, Ibraahim Abdullahi Guled, Asli Kulane","doi":"10.3389/fgwh.2025.1584113","DOIUrl":"10.3389/fgwh.2025.1584113","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Informed consent is a crucial legal and ethical requirement in the physician-patient relationship for all aspects of care. Despite, patients have the right to make their own decision in health, women in the Middle East and Africa, including Somalia, often have limited autonomy in healthcare decisions due to patriarchal structures. In Somalia, male family members including husbands frequently hold the ultimate authority in women's healthcare choices, sometimes restricting access to lifesaving sexual and reproductive health services.</p><p><strong>Purpose: </strong>To explore doctors' experiences of delay or refusal to provide consent for lifesaving interventions for pregnant women in Somalia.</p><p><strong>Patients and methods: </strong>an exploratory, qualitative design. Purposive sampling was used to select doctors working in maternity wards in the five selected hospitals. A total of 22 medical doctors were interviewed using a semi structured interview guide, and the data were analyzed using thematic analysis.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>An overarching theme emerged: \"The disconnect between healthcare system and patriarchy system\" with five sub-themes namely: (1) Consent is given only by paternal male family members (2) Paternal and male witnesses signatures required for the consent form (3) Paternal male conflicts and other reasons for delaying or refusing consent (4) Potential consequences for the doctors without the consent of paternal male (5) Changing the consent guidelines from paternal male dependency. Consent of the pregnant women is given by paternal male family members since they are responsible for her life (blood/<i>Diya</i>) according to cultural practices. The husband's consent is sufficient only in the case of post-abortion care, as this also involves the fetus. Misconceptions that cesarean sections can damage the uterus, limit future pregnancies, or impair a woman's ability to perform daily activities also contribute to delayed or refusal of consent.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>This study revealed that doctors require protection when performing their duties. All doctors who participated in the study were ready to save the lives of their patients, but were assured of their safety. Patients seem to cooperate with doctors, but the cultural practices of providing consent from male members remain a challenge to the intervention. A national health policy should be drafted and approved by the cabinet that grant women the sole right to consent to life-saving medical interventions. Additionally, community mobilization is needed to educate community leaders about the negative impact of delaying or denying women informed consent to essential healthcare due to the patriarchal norms.</p>","PeriodicalId":73087,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in global women's health","volume":"6 ","pages":"1584113"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2025-08-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12417481/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145042569","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Radical care: voetvroue and the reclamation of pleasure in reproductive health.","authors":"Tamia Bianca Botes","doi":"10.3389/fgwh.2025.1531915","DOIUrl":"10.3389/fgwh.2025.1531915","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Obstetric violence, rooted in the racialised and gendered logics of colonial medicine, has long served as a tool for disciplining reproductive bodies. In both 19th-century Antebellum slavery and the Cape colony, Black women's bodies became sites of medical experimentation, regulation, and control. Gynaecology emerged as a site of race-making, displacing Black autonomous midwives and erasing their knowledge from official medical archives. Yet this erasure was never complete. In Eldorado Park, Black autonomous midwives, or voetvroue, have cultivated grounded, place-based forms of reproductive care: treating infertility, facilitating births, and enacting rituals transmitted along familial and communal lines. Drawing on archival research and life history interviews, this paper traces the erasure of \"voetvroue\", or Black autonomous midwives, from the medical archive and discusses the colonial transformation of birth and obstetrics into a site of surveillance, control, and violence. It follows the lives of three voetvroue-Aunty Faeeza, Aunt Rose, and their grandmother, Ouma-who re-fashioned her two-bedroom backroom in Eldorado Park into a birthing space, or \"hospitaal\". I argue that the huis-hospitaal constitutes a radical commons of care that offers a counter-space to colonial biomedical logics not through overt refusal but through the everyday enactment of pleasure, dignity, and agency. Here, pleasure is conceptualised as emotional, spiritual, and relational: a mode of re-imagining reproductive justice beyond the confines of state-sanctioned care. By reframing reproductive health through the lens of radical care, voetvroue reclaim space, knowledge, and autonomy for Black birthing women in the face of ongoing racial-capitalist violence. In doing so, they revalorise locale-specific modes of knowledge and technologies and prioritise holistic approaches to birthing care.</p>","PeriodicalId":73087,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in global women's health","volume":"6 ","pages":"1531915"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2025-08-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12417465/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145042543","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Vulvovaginal candidiasis: knowledge, practices and occurrence among pregnant women receiving antenatal care in a teaching hospital, Ghana.","authors":"Florence Shine Edziah, Princess Ruhama Acheampong, Philip Apraku Tawiah, Cedric Dzidzor Amengor, Godsway Edem Kpene, Grace Otobea Amponsah, Priscilla Appiah Baffoe, Georgina Korankye, John Gameli Deku","doi":"10.3389/fgwh.2025.1647140","DOIUrl":"10.3389/fgwh.2025.1647140","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Vulvovaginal Candidiasis (VVC) is a condition commonly caused by <i>Candida albicans</i>. It is the second most common infection of the female genitalia affecting many women worldwide. Studies have identified unhealthy genital care practices to be associated with the infection among women including expectant mothers. Knowledge of the various signs and symptoms is crucial for early detection, reporting, and treatment. Good knowledge may influence healthy practices, limiting the infection and its complications. This study assessed the knowledge, practices and occurrence of Vulvovaginal candidiasis among pregnant women accessing antenatal care at a teaching hospital in Ghana.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A cross-sectional study was conducted among 336 pregnant women receiving antenatal care at the Ho Teaching Hospital. A structured questionnaire was used to assess their knowledge of the infection and practices on vaginal hygiene. The hospital records of these participants were further checked to verify the occurrence of the infection. Data were analyzed using Stata version 16. Analysis to identify associations between outcome variables and risk factors as well as significance level was carried out.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Out of the 336 gestational mothers involved in the study, 27.1% were found to have been diagnosed with candidiasis at the time of the study. Pregnant women who usually use antibiotics had 2.25 increased odds of developing VVC compared to those who do not [OR:2.25 95CI:1.33-3.79; <i>p</i>-value = 0.003]. Although, good knowledge was recorded among a greater percentage of the study participants on the various signs and symptoms including vaginal discharge and its abnormalities, there was however, a poor knowledge on the causative organism, as 77.4% indicated that the infection was caused by other agents rather than fungi.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The occurrence of VVC was elevated in the study jurisdiction. Frequent antibiotic use was found to be significantly associated with the occurrence of the infection.</p>","PeriodicalId":73087,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in global women's health","volume":"6 ","pages":"1647140"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2025-08-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12415043/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145030709","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Editorial: Disclosure in sexual and reproductive health.","authors":"Pooja Chitneni, Shan Qiao, Simon M Manga, Janet M Turan","doi":"10.3389/fgwh.2025.1681646","DOIUrl":"10.3389/fgwh.2025.1681646","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":73087,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in global women's health","volume":"6 ","pages":"1681646"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2025-08-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12405154/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145002069","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Determinants of non-use of antenatal care services in eastern Indonesia: analysis of the 2023 Indonesia health survey.","authors":"Christiana Rialine Titaley, Dwi Hapsari Tjandrarini, Maxwell Landri Vers Malakauseya, Iwan Ariawan, Ressita Fannia Iwan, Sean Samuel Istia, Michael J Dibley","doi":"10.3389/fgwh.2025.1649276","DOIUrl":"10.3389/fgwh.2025.1649276","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Although Indonesia has made significant progress in improving maternal and child health nationally, regional disparities persist, particularly in eastern Indonesia, where maternal and neonatal health outcomes remain suboptimal compared with the western regions. This study examined factors associated with non-use of antenatal care (ANC) in eastern Indonesia.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We analyzed data from 3,261 mothers with infants under one year of age in eastern Indonesia who were interviewed in the 2023 Indonesia Health Survey. The primary outcome was maternal non-use at ANC during pregnancy with an infant younger than 12 months at the time of the survey. Eighteen potential predictors of non-use of ANC were assessed using a multilevel analysis.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Approximately 5% (95% CI: 4.14-6.09) of the mothers with infants 0-11 months did not seek antenatal care. Non-use was associated with infant age, region, socioeconomic status, health checks, knowledge of stunting, and pregnancy-related complications. Mothers with infants aged 6-11 months were 63% less likely to forgo ANC [adjusted odds ratio (aOR) = 0.63, <i>p</i> <i>=</i> <i>0.049</i>]. Living in Sulawesi (aOR = 2.66, <i>p</i> <i>=</i> <i>0.001</i>), Maluku (aOR = 13.76, <i>p</i> <i><</i> <i>0.001</i>), and Papua (aOR = 17.72, <i>p</i> <i><</i> <i>0.001</i>) increased ANC non-use. The poorest households had 9.90 times higher odds of non-use than the richest households (<i>p</i> <i><</i> <i>0.001</i>). Higher non-use was also linked to no prior health checks (aOR = 2.54, <i>p</i> <i>=</i> <i>0.006</i>), low stunting knowledge (aOR = 2.93, <i>p</i> <i>=</i> <i>0.004</i>), and no pregnancy complications (aOR = 4.30, <i>p</i> <i>=</i> <i>0.001</i>).</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Socioeconomic and geographic disparities drive non-use of antenatal care in eastern Indonesia. Improving healthcare access, education, and early screening are crucial for reducing regional inequalities and enhancing maternal health.</p>","PeriodicalId":73087,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in global women's health","volume":"6 ","pages":"1649276"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2025-08-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12399656/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144994631","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Global, regional, and national trends in depressive disorder prevalence and DALYs among women of childbearing age from 1990 to 2021 and projections to 2040: a comprehensive analysis from 1990 to 2021.","authors":"Yuhang Yang, Yuyuan Hu, Yuan He, Wei Zhang, Jinghan Jia, Yibo Xu, Yan Li, Jinxi Wang","doi":"10.3389/fgwh.2025.1629747","DOIUrl":"10.3389/fgwh.2025.1629747","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>This study aims to explore global, regional, and national trends in the prevalence of depression and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) among women of childbearing age from 1990 to 2021, as well as to project future trends from 2022 to 2040.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This research analyzes the prevalence of depression and Disability-Adjusted Life Years (DALYs) among Women of Childbearing Age (WCBA) using data from the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) database, covering the period from 1990 to 2021. We evaluate trends in the burden of depression in WCBA through estimated annual percentage change (EAPC) and percentage change, as well as annual percentage change (APC) and average annual percentage change (AAPC) derived from Joinpoint regression analyses. Additionally, we employ age-period-cohort modeling to provide a more comprehensive evaluation of the prevalence of WCBA and the burden of DALYs, including future projections.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>In 2021, it was estimated that there were 121.24 million cases of depression among women of childbearing age worldwide, with disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) accounting for 21.04 million cases. When compared to figures from 1990, these numbers indicate percentage increases of 68% and 69%, respectively. Moreover, despite an overall increase in both global prevalence and DALY rates, this rise was not considered statistically significant, as reflected by an estimated annual percentage change (EAPC) of -0.02 (95% confidence interval: -0.17 to 0.13) for prevalence and -0.06 (95% CI: -0.24 to 0.12) for DALYs. Furthermore, the average annual percentage change (AAPC) was computed to be 0.4789 (95% CI: 0.3289-0.6295; <i>P</i> < 0.001) for prevalence and 0.524 (95% CI: 0.3756-0.6725; <i>P</i> < 0.001) for DALYs. Projections made using our Bayesian age-period-cohort (BAPC) model suggest that we can expect a considerable increase in the global prevalence of depression and DALY rates among women of childbearing age by the year 2040.</p>","PeriodicalId":73087,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in global women's health","volume":"6 ","pages":"1629747"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2025-08-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12399658/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144994654","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effective coverage of antenatal care and associated factors among pregnant women in Tanzania: a multilevel analysis.","authors":"Amanuel Yosef Gebrekidan, Beshada Zerfu Woldegeorgis, Gizachew Ambaw Kassie, Kirubel Eshetu Haile, Ashenafi Teklay Abrha, Angwach Abrham Asnake, Yordanos Sisay Asgedom","doi":"10.3389/fgwh.2025.1477666","DOIUrl":"10.3389/fgwh.2025.1477666","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Antenatal care (ANC) is a crucial part of reproductive health care, providing opportunities for health promotion, screening, diagnosis, and illness prevention. However, evidence has shown that poor-quality ANC is prevalent. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the effective coverage (quality-adjusted coverage) of ANC and its associated factors among pregnant women in Tanzania.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This research was based on data from the 2022 Tanzania Demographic and Health Survey. The study utilized a weighted sample of 3,890 pregnant women. Given the influence of clustering and the binary nature of the outcome variable, we used a multilevel binary logistic regression model. Statistical significance was determined using the adjusted odds ratio (AOR) with a 95% confidence interval (CI), taking into account the model with the lowest deviation that best matched the data.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>In this study, the effective coverage of ANC was 39.3% [95% confidence interval (CI): 37.8, 40.8]. After considering both individual- and community-level variables, women's age, educational status, husbands'/partners' employment status, wealth index, number of ANC visits, administrative zones, and urban residence were all found to have statistically significant associations with effective ANC coverage among pregnant women in Tanzania.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Only four out of ten pregnant women received effective ANC (quality-adjusted ANC), underscoring that crude coverage and access to healthcare do not ensure quality ANC. Emphasis should be placed on integrating component-based indicators. Furthermore, all attempts to provide all components should be considered during women's first visit, in addition to the need to increase the number of visits by pregnant women. Additionally, more attention should be paid to disadvantaged groups in terms of wealth and residence, and the fee exemption strategy should be supported by boosting the availability of healthcare supplies, particularly in remote areas.</p>","PeriodicalId":73087,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in global women's health","volume":"6 ","pages":"1477666"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2025-08-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12394477/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144981081","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}