Factors influencing four antenatal care visits among women in Eastern Uganda

Abstract

The study examines the factors that are affecting the completion of the antenatal care visits of mothers in Eastern Uganda using the 2016 UDHS data. The specific objectives of the study were to assess the socio-economic and demographic factors that influence four or more Antenatal Care visits by women in Eastern Uganda. The analysis was done at three levels, univariate, bivariate and multivariate level using STATA 14 version. At bivariate level, marital status, residence, level of education, residence, the household wealth, sub-region, education level, access to media, occupation of the mother are significantly related to completion four or more Antenatal Care visits since their respective p-values are less than 0.05 at 95% level of significance. On the other hand, age, religion and the number of children have no significant association with completion of the four recommended Antenatal Care visits since the associated p-values is greater than 0.05 at 95% level of significance. From the logistic model we can conclude that marital status, education level, household wealth status and the sub-region are significant predictors of whether a mother completes four or more ANC visits since the associated p-vales are less than 0.05 at 95% level of significance. Findings in line with the objectives and hypotheses led to the following conclusions; according to the study we accept hypothesis two, three, four, five, six, seven, and eight that marital status, residence, education level, wealth status, access to media and occupation respectively, significantly influence completion of four or more ANC) since the respective p-values are less than 0.05 at 95% level of significance. On the other hand we reject hypotheses one, nine and ten that age, religion and the number of children significantly influence whether a mother completes four or more ANC visits since associated the p-values are more than 0.05 at 95% level of significance. The government should roll out more wealth creation programmes in Eastern Uganda so as to improve Household wealth since it is a significant predictor of four or more ANC visits. The government should extend the ANC services to all health centers in the villages in Eastern Uganda since most of the people are rural dwellers. More so, rural dwellers are less likely to complete four or more ANC visits. The government should emphasize girl-child education in Eastern Uganda.