Factors affecting the utilization of prenatal care: a case study of Maragua district.

Abstract

Prenatal care is the care and supervision that are grven throughout pregnancy. The objective is accomplished by ascertaining the patients general physical condition at the beginning of pregnancy, advising and supervising or carrying out prophylactic and therapeutic measures as needed and preparing the patient psychologically for pregnancy, labor, delivery and infant care. There are myriad reasons why women are unable to make use of care that is theoretically accessible to them. The aim of this study therefore was to find the factors that lead to utilization of prenatal health services. The area of study was Maragua District. The study was a survey usmg ex-post facto research design. The mam tool of data collection was an interview schedule, which was supplemented by an interview guide. The sampling technique used was random selection in which a sample of 90 women aged between 15 and 49 were selected. These were from Maragua, Kabati and Makuyu Divisions. The study found that the main factors which affect utilization are knowledge about prenatal care, accessibility of centers and mode of service delivery at the clinics. It was found that mothers aged 21-30 utilize prenatal health centers the most with 60% of them having three or more visits. The researcher asked women to give reasons why they or other women may fail to attend prenatal care. The women gave personal reasons such as embarrassment, abuse from attendants and religious persuasion. The very young and older mothers were found to be less likely to seek prenatal care due to embarrassment and fear to disclose the pregnancy. They mostly sought care when they felt sick or to acquire the prenatal card which is required in hospital at the time of confinement. The most common reasons cited for not attending prenatal clinic were long waiting time at. the clinic and long traveling distances. Most mothers complained that they had to wait for a long time before being given a cursory check-up. There were also reports of women returning home unattended. The cost per visit and workload at home were also cited as common reasons why women may fail to attend prenatal clinic. Patterns of delivery of prenatal care were also examined to determine their effectiveness. The study sought to find the amount of time spent per check up. Over 50% of the women said they spent five minutes or less with the health practitioner. This is much less than the time required to carry out the required checks. The majority also reported that they were only given foetal and weight exam. From the average time spent, the researcher concluded that there is little or no counseling given to the women during the visits. The study also found that 31% of the women interviewed did not recerve health supplements. The study was however not conclusive and further research is needed to identify all the intervening factors in determining levels of utilization. The researcher also recommends that modalities be put in place to ensure that the set patterns of service delivery are implemented. The number of clinics and service providers should also be increased. There is also need to educate women on the importance of prenatal care.