Browsing by Author "Kimario, Athanasia D."

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    Antenatal care services utilization and their associated factors among postnatal women in Dodoma city, a cross-sectional study
    (The University of Dodoma, 2023) Kimario, Athanasia D.
    Introduction: Antenatal care is an essential component of maternal and child health services, aimed at ensuring safe pregnancy and childbirth. In 2016, the World Health Organization (WHO) updated its antenatal care guidelines to improve the quality and effectiveness of antenatal care services. Thus, the aim of this research study was to assess the utilization of antenatal care services in line with the antenatal care guidelines among postnatal women. Methods: An analytical cross-sectional study design was employed. A face-to-face data collection approach using an interviewer-administered questionnaire and the abstraction of data from the ANC card was used to collect relevant data from 426 postnatal women. Data were collected using a researcher developed questionnaire based on information from the literature and the ANC guideline of 2018. Results: Most women received education about the use of bed nets to prevent malaria during pregnancy (92.9%, n = 247) and received the Tetanus Toxoid (TT) vaccination (86.8%, n = 231) during the first trimester. Nevertheless, in the second trimester, SP medication (90.8%, n = 387) and mebendazole medication to treat or prevent parasitic infections (90.1%, n = 384) were the most prominent services given to women during the second trimester. As for the third trimester, most of the women (> 85%) received the recommended intervention services for the third trimester. The majority of the postnatal women (63.2%, n = 266) initiated ANC visits during their first trimester of gestation (less than 12 weeks). Only 6.8% (n =29) of postnatal women were able to meet the minimum of 8 contacts as recommended by the WHO. Availability of an ANC support person was associated with early initiation of ANC services (AOR = 1.726, 95% CI = 1.055-2.822, p = 0.030), whereas living more than 5 km was associated with high frequency of ANC contacts (AOR = 3.890, 95% CI = 1.168, 12.958, p = 0.027). Conclusion: Adequate utilization of antenatal care services is vital to achieving good maternal and child health outcomes in developing countries such as Tanzania. By addressing the factors identified in this study, policymakers and healthcare providers can work together to enhance and ultimately improve maternal and child health outcomes.