Factors Influencing the Choice of Skilled Antenatal Care Service Providers in Uganda

Abstract

This research explores the factors influencing the choice of skilled ANC service providers in Uganda. While most of the current literature concentrates much on the number of ANC visits, this research reveals the driving forces and limitations of access to skilled ANC service providers among women in Uganda. It is estimated that 95% of the pregnant women visited a skilled health worker once (UDHS, 2016). This study used secondary data from the 2016 Uganda Demographic and Healthy Survey data set. A total of 9,838 women were included in the study of which 7,470 women attended ANC from skilled service provider and 2,368 women from non-skilled service provider, data was analyzed using Stata into frequency tables using actual tallies and percentages to find out the number of those who attended ANC from different service providers basing on the background characteristics and association between the choice of skilled ANC service provider and age, education level, region, wealth index and place of residence was tested using logistic regression. Findings confirmed that age, wealth index, place of residence and region were significantly associated with choice of skilled ANC service provider (p<0.05). Education and decision making was found insignificant for the study. At multivariate analysis results showed that attending secondary and higher education, aged 20-29, residing in urban region significantly predicted choice of ANC attendance from skilled service provider. The research recommends that the government should organize sensitization campaigns indicating the merits got by males supporting females or partners through providing financial and social support during pregnancy to motivate and encourage participation of more males. The government and implementing partners should adopt and implement the use of mobile health vans most especially in rural areas to ensure that each and every pregnant woman is catered for. More so, more village health teams (VHTs) should be trained and equip those in existence with more obstetric care skills to ensure sufficient care given to the mothers during pregnancy.