Factors influencing attendance to antenatal care services in Kenya, the case of Somali women in Eeastleigh Nairobi county, Kenya

Abstract

Approximately 1000 women die each day worldwide from pregnancy related causes, 99% of them in developing countries and more than 50% in sub-Saharan Africa with most deaths concentrated around the time of delivery. Most of these delivery time deaths would have reduced if antenatal services were readily available and fully utilized by all expectant mothers. The study set out to investigate the influencing factors to the attendance of antenatal care services among the Somali women in Nairobi, Kenya. The objectives of the study were ;To establish the influence of the presence of Traditional Birth Attendants (TBAs) in antenatal services seeking behavior among Somali women in Eastleigh, Nairobi, investigate the extent to which level of awareness influences attendance to antenatal care by the Somali women in Eastleigh, Nairobi County, investigate how cultural beliefs towards modern reproductive services affect antenatal seeking behavior among the Somali women in Eastleigh, Nairobi and find out how economic status contribute to the number of Somali women who seek antenatal care. The target population was all Somali women living in Nairobi. This study grew out of an observation made by the researcher during a Parliamentary Health Committee tour to the Pumwani Maternity and most recent Journals in the facility, which indicated most of the babies in the incubators, and still births, were of Somali origin. Sample size was determined by use of online formula for sample size determination at http://www.raosoft.com/samplesize.html and adopted snowball sampling in the study. Questionnaires were pre-tested at the School of Communication at Daystar University, Nairobi. Data collection was carried out by the researcher over a period of four weeks by use of self administered questionnaires from respondents who could read and write and also with the assistance of a research assistant for the illiterate respondents. All questionnaires were edited and responses coded before data was entered into the computer by the use of the Statistical Program for Social Scientists (SPSS), version 11.5. Cross tabulation was the main method used for data analysis. After analysis, data was summarized and presented in form of frequency tables, percentages and proportions. Majority respondents were within the active ages of reproduction with a majority 72% practicing Islam while 50.8% had no formal education. There was great reliance of TBAs with a strong correlation between attendance of antenatal care and the final delivery aid where 81.4% of the respondents reported to have relied on the same service providers during their delivery period. The study established great need of awareness programmes geared towards enlightening the Somali women with 63.6% of the respondents unaware since most of them were illiterate. The study recommended that women be encouraged to undertake entrepreneurial activities since there was high relationship of economic status and attendance to antenatal clinics.