Factors influencing the utilization of antenatal care services among reproductive women: a case of Kibera, Nairobi county, Kenya

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to investigate factors influencing the utilization of Antenatal Care Services among women of the reproductive age group in Kibera Constituency in Nairobi County, Kenya. This study was guided by the following objectives: To establish the extent to which socio-demographic factors influences utilization of Antenatal care services, determining the influence of the knowledge and awareness women have about antenatal care services on the utilization of Antenatal care services, Also to determine the influence of accessibility of the ANC services on utilization of Antenatal Care services by women of reproductive age in Kibera and lastly to examine the influence of the perception of quality of care services rendered on the utilization of Antenatal care services among women of reproductive age in Kibera.The study intended to investigate three wards in Kibera slum to establish the possible factors that influence the utilization of ANC services. A mixed method research design was adopted for the study. The sample size was 382 respondents from a population of 66,290 women who make up the target population. The study used questionnaires and interview guides to collect information through simple random sampling. The completed questionnaires were edited for completeness and consistency, checked for errors and omissions. If the instrument contained a representative sample of the universe, the content validity was good. Its determination is primarily judgmental and intuitive. The test – retest method was employed to ensure reliability of the questionnaire. Quantitative data was analyzed using descriptive statistics where responses from questionnaire was tallied and analyzed using frequency distributions. The results of the study revealed that some of the factors that influence utilization of Antenatal care services were: Socio-demographic factors (such as Age, Education, Marital status, Income level), Knowledge and awareness about ANC services, Perception of the quality of services rendered and accessibility of ANC services. The following are therefore recommended based on the findings: The Ministry of Health should review and strengthen reproductive health programs and ensure that they are friendly and are need focused, Adequate supervision and monitoring at all levels of health care should be ensured by the MOH, Continuous disseminating of information by the MOH on antenatal care, delivery and postnatal care services to enhance accessibility by every pregnant woman. The study findings will be helpful in policy making and in designing appropriate programs and services for the urban population of Nairobi.