The effect of psychosocial stress on prenatal care among Hispanic immigrant women.

ABSTRACT: This article explores the effect of psychosocial stress on Hispanic immigrant women, including access to and use of prenatal care and birth outcomes. In addition to highlighting the health effects for this growing population, the article outlines strategies for clinicians to improve access to adequate prenatal care and to cultivate a supportive environment to promote use of prenatal services.

Reasons for Not Pursuing Virtual Prenatal Care in 2020 Through 2021 and Policy Implications.

Aim: To investigate patterns of virtual prenatal visits and examine reasons for not pursuing virtual visits for prenatal care. Methods: A pooled cross-sectional study used Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System from October 2020 through June 2021, a nationally representative surveillance system targeted at women who recently gave live birth. Individuals (n = 11,829) who reported their prenatal care experiences were included. A modified poison regression estimated prevalence ratios for virtual prenatal visits and reasons for not using virtual services. Results: One-third of participants used virtual prenatal care. Hispanics were more likely to use virtual prenatal care than whites. Compared with college graduates, those with high school graduation (Prevalence Ratios [PR] 0.87, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.76-0.99; p = 0.033) or some college education (PR 0.86, 95% CI 0.77-0.96; p = 0.009) were less likely to use virtual visits. A preference for in-person was the most common reason for not pursuing virtual visits (77.1%), followed by no available virtual appointments (29.5%), technology barriers (6.1%), and no private space (1.7%). Individuals with less than or with high school graduation had 4.16 times (95% CI 2.32-7.46; p ≤ 0.001) and 2.72 times (95% CI 1.67-4.43; p ≤ 0.001) greater technology barriers, and 10.03 times (95% CI 3.42-29.46; p ≤ 0.001) and 4.29 times (95% CI 1.56-11.80; p = 0.005) greater likelihood of lacking private space, respectively, while they had a lesser in-person preference. Conclusions: In a disrupted health care landscape, barriers to accessing virtual prenatal care may have further exacerbated access to care and effective management of pregnancy among those underserved. The findings provide practical implications for safe and effective prenatal care.

Rastreamento clínico e nutricional de gestantes de alto risco na estratégia de saúde da família de Santa Quitéria - CE / Clinical and nutritional screening of high-risk pregnant women in the family health strategy of Santa Quitéria - CE / Cribado clínico y nutricional de las embarazadas de alto riesgo en la estrategia de salud familiar de Santa Quitéria - CE

Considera-se gestação de alto risco quando a mulher apresenta comorbidade materna e/ou condição sociobiológica que levam as chances de ocorrer alguma intercorrência na evolução natural da gravidez, como hipertensão arterial, diabetes, anemia, alcoolismo e obesidade. É de grande importância o acompanhamento pré-natal com uma equipe de assistência capaz de identificar os problemas antes mesmo que possam ser agravados. O objetivo deste estudo foi rastrear o perfil clínico e nutricional de mulheres com gestação de alto risco na Estratégia de Saúde da Família de Santa Quitéria- CE. Trata-se de um estudo descritivo, com abordagem quantitativa realizado com 33 gestantes. Para a coleta de dados foi utilizado o cartão da gestante e prontuário, o estado nutricional foi avaliado através do peso pré- gestacional contido no cartão e peso atual através da balança. Para análise estatística, foram usados frequências, percentuais, médias e desvio padrão, verificadas por meio dos testes de Kolmogorov-Smirnov e Levene. Para a comparação de médias entre duas categorias, utilizou-se o teste t de Student para amostras independentes. Os resultados mostraram que a maioria tinha o ensino médio como nível de escolaridade, renda igual ou menor que um salário mínimo, multíparas com um ou mais abortos. Em relação às características do estado clínico patológico, as condições mais prevalentes nas gestantes do presente estudo foram hipertensão arterial sistêmica, pré-eclâmpsia, seguidos de DMG e eritoblastose. Excesso de peso antes e durante a gravidez com ganho ponderal de peso adequado. O que demonstra a necessidade de estratégias para a saúde da mulher. É apropriado acionar sinal de alerta no acompanhamento da saúde da mulher também antes da gestação e não somente no pré-natal para que transcorra bem durante e após o parto. PALAVRAS-CHAVE: Estado nutricional; Gestação de alto risco; Assistência Pré-Natal.

High-risk pregnancy is considered when the woman presents maternal comorbidity and/or sociobiological condition that increase the chances of some complication occurring in the natural evolution of pregnancy, such as arterial hypertension, diabetes, anemia, alcoholism, and obesity; It is of great importance the prenatal follow-up with an assistance team capable of identifying the problems even before they can be aggravated; The objective of this study was to track the clinical and nutritional profile of women with high-risk pregnancy in the Family Health Strategy of Santa Quitéria-CE; This is a descriptive study with a quantitative approach carried out with 33 pregnant women; For data collection the pregnant woman's card and medical records were used, the nutritional status was evaluated through the pre-gestational weight contained in the card and current weight through the scale; For statistical analysis, frequencies, percentages, means and standard deviation were used, verified by means of the Kolmogorov-Smirnov and Levene tests;For comparison of means between two categories, Student's t test for independent samples was used; The results showed that most had high school education, income equal to or less than one minimum wage, multiparous women with one or more abortions; Regarding the characteristics of the pathological medical condition, the most prevalent conditions in the pregnant women of the present study were hypertension, pre- eclampsia, followed by GDM and erythoblastosis; Overweight before and during pregnancy with adequate weight gain; This demonstrates the need for women's health strategies; It is appropriate to trigger warning signals in the monitoring of women's health also before pregnancy and not only in the prenatal period so that it goes well during and after delivery;

Se considera embarazo de alto riesgo cuando la mujer presenta comorbilidad materna y/o condición socio-biológica que conlleva las posibilidades de aparición de alguna complicación en la evolución natural del embarazo, como son la hipertensión, la diabetes, la anemia, el alcoholismo y la obesidad. Es de gran importancia el seguimiento prenatal con un equipo de asistencia capaz de identificar los problemas incluso antes de que puedan agravarse. El objetivo de este estudio fue rastrear el perfil clínico y nutricional de las mujeres con embarazo de alto riesgo en la Estrategia de Salud Familiar de Santa Quitéria-CE. Se trata de un estudio descriptivo con un enfoque cuantitativo realizado con 33 mujeres embarazadas. Para la recopilación de datos se utilizó el cartón de la gestante y el prontuario, el estado nutricional se evaluó a través del peso pregestacional contenido en el cartón y el peso actual a través de la balanza. Para el análisis estadístico se utilizaron frecuencias, porcentajes, medias y desviación estándar, verificados mediante las pruebas de Kolmogorov-Smirnov y Levene. Para la comparación de medias entre dos categorías, se utilizó la prueba t de Student para muestras independientes. Los resultados mostraron que la mayoría tenía estudios secundarios, ingresos iguales o inferiores a un salario mínimo, mujeres multíparas con uno o más abortos. En cuanto a las características del estado clínico patológico, las condiciones más prevalentes en las embarazadas del presente estudio fueron la hipertensión arterial sistémica, la preeclampsia, seguidas de la DMG y la eritoblastosis. Exceso de peso antes y durante el embarazo con un aumento de peso adecuado. Lo que demuestra la necesidad de estrategias de salud para las mujeres. Es conveniente activar la señal de alarma en el seguimiento de la salud de las mujeres también antes del embarazo y no sólo en la atención prenatal para que funcione bien durante y después del parto.

Association of State Child Abuse Policies and Mandated Reporting Policies With Prenatal and Postpartum Care Among Women Who Engaged in Substance Use During Pregnancy.

Importance: Some states have implemented policies that consider substance use during pregnancy as child abuse and require mandated reporting of substance use during pregnancy. Implications of these policies for health care receipt among pregnant people who engage in substance use are unknown. Objective: To examine the association of state child abuse policies and mandated reporting policies with prenatal and postpartum care among women who engaged in substance use during pregnancy. Design, Setting, and Participants: In this cross-sectional study, data from the 2016-2019 Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System survey were analyzed. The study population included 4155 women from 23 states who reported substance use during pregnancy. Data were analyzed between August and November 2021. Exposures: Delivery in a state with a child abuse policy only (n = 6), a mandated reporting policy only (n = 4), both policies (n = 7), or neither policy (n = 5). One state switched from a mandated reporting policy only to having both policies. Main Outcomes and Measures: Month of gestation at prenatal care initiation (ie, months 1-10, with a higher number of months indicating later initiation), receipt of adequate prenatal care, and receipt of a postpartum health care visit 4 to 6 weeks after delivery. Sample characteristics were calculated using unweighted frequencies and weighted percentages and means. Associations of state policies with the outcomes were examined using generalized linear regression with generalized estimating equations, adjusting for potential confounders and accounting for the complex sampling design of the Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System survey. Results: The study sample included 4155 women who reported substance use during pregnancy; 33.9% of these women delivered in states with a child abuse policy only, 16.4% in states with a mandated reporting policy only, 32.9% in states with both policies, and 16.8% in states with neither policy. Overall, 14.7% of women were Black, 69.0% were White, and 64.6% were aged 18 to 29 years at delivery. Women who delivered in states with a child abuse policy only, mandated reporting policy only, or both policies initiated prenatal care at a later month of gestation (ß = 0.44 [95% CI, 0.10-0.78], 0.32 [95% CI, 0.04-0.59], and 0.40 [95% CI, 0.09-0.72], respectively) and had a lower likelihood of adequate prenatal care (risk ratio, 0.85 [95% CI, 0.79-0.91], 0.94 [95% CI, 0.87-1.01], and 0.95 [95% CI, 0.89-1.03], respectively) and a postpartum health care visit (risk ratio, 0.89 [95% CI, 0.82-0.96], 0.89 [95% CI, 0.80-0.98], and 0.92 [95% CI, 0.83-1.02], respectively) compared with women who delivered in states with neither policy. Conclusions and Relevance: The results indicate that state child abuse policies and mandated reporting policies are associated with reduced receipt of prenatal and postpartum care among women who engage in substance use during pregnancy.

Frecuencia y factores relacionados al no cumplimiento del control prenatal en gestantes de 35 años o más en el Cauca, Colombia, 2016-2018 / Frequency and associated factors of non-adherence to prenatal care in pregnant women 35 years of age or older in Cauca, Colombia, 2016-2018

RESUMEN Objetivos: describir la frecuencia del no cumplimiento del control prenatal en gestantes de 35 años o más del departamento del Cauca, Colombia, y hacer un análisis exploratorio de los factores asociados. Materiales y métodos: estudio descriptivo de corte transversal. Se incluyeron gestantes entre 35 y 41 años afiliadas a la Entidad Administradora de Planes de Beneficios Asociación Indígena del Cauca Entidad Promotora de Salud-I (EAPB AIC-I) e inscritas al programa de control prenatal, entre 2016 y 2018. Se excluyeron pacientes con registros sin información completa. Se analizaron variables sociodemográficas, clínicas y la frecuencia de no asistencia adecuado al control prenatal a través de estadística descriptiva, y se calcularon Odd Ratios con sus intervalos de confianza para los factores asociados. Resultados: en 1016 pacientes entre 35 y 41 años evaluadas se encontró una frecuencia de no cumplimiento de mínimo seis controles prenatales de 61,3 %. El antecedente de aborto (OR ajustado: 0,46; IC 95 % 0,33-0,64,) y gravidez de cinco o más (OR ajustado: 3,22; IC 95 % 1,50-6,91) fueron los factores asociados. Conclusiones: el no cumplimiento de controles prenatales por gestantes de 35 o más años inscritos en la EAPB AIC-I del Cauca es alto. Se requieren nuevos estudios cualitativos que evalúen factores culturales y sociales presentes en estas comunidades que afectan la adherencia al control prenatal, así como estudios prospectivos que confirmen el análisis exploratorio de los factores asociados a la no adherencia. Es importante que las empresas aseguradoras del régimen subsidiado realicen actividades de promoción en estas comunidades para incrementar su cumplimento.

ABSTRACT Objectives: To describe the frequency and factors associated with non-adherence to prenatal follow-up in pregnant women 35 years of age or older in the department of Cauca, Colombia, between 2016 and 2018. Material and methods: Cross-sectional, descriptive observational study of records of pregnant women between 35 and 41 years of age affiliated to the Cauca Indigenous Association Health Benefit Plan Management Organization-I (EAPB AIC-I) and registered in the prenatal care program, between 2016 and 2018. Duplicate records and records with incomplete information were excluded. Sociodemographic and clinical variables, as well as program outcomes, were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Odds ratios and their confidence intervals were calculated. Results: In 1016 patients between 35 and 41 years of age, a frequency of 61.3 % of non-adherence to at least six prenatal visits was found. History of abortion (adjusted OR: 0.46; 95 % CI 0.33-0.64) and pregnancy of five or more (adjusted OR: 3,22; IC 95 % 1,50-6,91) were the associated factors. Conclusions: Non-adherence to prenatal care by pregnant women of 35 years or more affiliated to the Cauca EAPB AIC-I is high. Further qualitative studies are needed to examine the cultural and social factors present in these communities that may affect adherence to prenatal monitoring, together with prospective studies to confirm the exploratory analysis of factors associated with non-adherence. Insurance organizations in the subsidized regime should be called upon to conduct promotion activities in these communities in order to improve adherence.

Health insurance coverage and antenatal care services utilization in West Africa.

BACKGROUND: In recent decades, there has been a significant focus towards the improvement of maternal mortality indicators in low-and middle-income countries. Though progress has been made around the world, West Africa has maintained an elevated burden of diseases. One proposed solution to increasing access to primary care services is health insurance coverage. As limited evidence exists, we sought to understand the relationship between health insurance coverage and at least four antenatal care (ANC) visits in West Africa. METHODS: Demographic and Health Survey data from 10 West African countries were weighted, cleaned, and analysed. The total sample was 79,794 women aged 15 to 49 years old were considered for the analysis. Health insurance coverage was the explanatory variable, and the outcome variable was number of ANC visits. The data were analysed using binary logistic regression. The results were presented using crude and adjusted odds ratio (aOR) at 95% confidence interval. RESULTS: Approximately 86.73% of women who were covered by health insurance had four or more ANC visits, compared to 55.15% for women without insurance. In total, 56.91% of the total sample attended a minimum of four ANC visits. Women with health insurance coverage were more likely to make the minimum recommended number of ANC visits than their non-insured-peers (aOR [95% CI] =1.55 [1.37-1.73]). CONCLUSION: Health insurance is a significant determinant in accessing primary care services for pregnant women. Yet, very few in the region are covered by an insurance scheme. In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, policy makers should prioritize rapid solutions to provide primary care while setting the infrastructure for long-term and sustainable options such as publicly run health insurance schemes.

Factors associated with antenatal exercise in Arba Minch town, Southern Ethiopia: A community-based cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Many health risks in pregnant women and their foetuses can be reduced by practicing antenatal exercise. However, the adequate practice of antenatal exercise among pregnant women is low in Ethiopia. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the practice of antenatal exercise and its associated factors among pregnant women in Arba Minch town. METHODS: A community-based cross-sectional study design was conducted. Data were collected by using a structured questionnaire from 422 pregnant women selected by a simple random sampling technique. Descriptive statistics were computed and a binary logistic regression model was fitted. In multivariable logistic-regression adjusted odds ratio (AOR) with 95% confidence intervals were used to determine the strength of associations. The significance level was declared at a p-value < 0.05. RESULTS: Among 410 participants, 32.9% (95% CI 28%-37%) adequately practiced antenatal exercise. Factors negatively associated with an adequate antenatal exercise were husband's primary school level [Adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 0.3, (95% CI: 0.1, 0.7)], history of miscarriage [AOR = 0.3, (95% CI: 0.1, 0.7)], inadequate knowledge [AOR = 0.2, (95% CI: 0.1, 0.3)], and unfavorable attitude [AOR = 0.3, (95% CI 0.2, 0.5)]. Whereas, factors positively associated with an adequate antenatal exercise were employment status of women [AOR = 4.8, (95% CI: 1.8, 13.1)], and a practice of regular exercise before current pregnancy [AOR = 1.9, (95% CI: 1.1, 3.2)]. CONCLUSIONS: The findings of this study indicated that adequate practice of antenatal exercise was found to be low. Appropriate measures should be taken to improve the husband's educational level, mother's occupation, knowledge, and attitudes towards antenatal exercise. Special consideration should be given to those with a history of miscarriage and women should be encouraged to practice regular exercise before pregnancy.

Socio-demographic factors associated with early antenatal care visits among pregnant women in Malawi: 2004-2016.

INTRODUCTION: In 2016, the WHO published recommendations increasing the number of recommended antenatal care (ANC) visits per pregnancy from four to eight. Prior to the implementation of this policy, coverage of four ANC visits has been suboptimal in many low-income settings. In this study we explore socio-demographic factors associated with early initiation of first ANC contact and attending at least four ANC visits ("ANC4+") in Malawi using the Malawi Demographic and Health Survey (MDHS) data collected between 2004 and 2016, prior to the implementation of new recommendations. METHODS: We combined data from the 2004-5, 2010 and 2015-16 MDHS using Stata version 16. Participants included all women surveyed between the ages of 15-49 who had given birth in the five years preceding the survey. We conducted weighted univariate, bivariate and multivariable logistic regression analysis of the effects of each of the predictor variables on the binary endpoint of the woman attending at least four ANC visits and having the first ANC attendance within or before the four months of pregnancy (ANC4+). To determine whether a factor was included in the model, the likelihood ratio test was used with a statistical significance of P< 0.05 as the threshold. RESULTS: We evaluated data collected in surveys in 2004/5, 2010 and 2015/6 from 26386 women who had given birth in the five years before being surveyed. The median gestational age, in months, at the time of presenting for the first ANC visit was 5 (inter quartile range: 4-6). The proportion of women initiating ANC4+ increased from 21.3% in 2004-5 to 38.8% in 2015-16. From multivariate analysis, there was increasing trend in ANC4+ from women aged 20-24 years (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) = 1.27, 95%CI:1.05-1.53, P = 0.01) to women aged 45-49 years (aOR = 1.91, 95%CI:1.18-3.09, P = 0.008) compared to those aged 15-19 years. Women from richest socio-economic position ((aOR = 1.32, 95%CI:1.12-1.58, P<0.001) were more likely to demonstrate ANC4+ than those from low socio-economic position. Additionally, women who had completed secondary (aOR = 1.24, 95%CI:1.02-1.51, P = 0.03) and tertiary (aOR = 2.64, 95%CI:1.65-4.22, P<0.001) education were more likely to report having ANC4+ than those with no formal education. Conversely increasing parity was associated with a reduction in likelihood of ANC4+ with women who had previously delivered 2-3 (aOR = 0.74, 95%CI:0.63-0.86, P<0.001), 4-5 (aOR = 0.65, 95%CI:0.53-0.80, P<0.001) or greater than 6 (aOR = 0.61, 95%CI: 0.47-0.79, <0.001) children being less likely to demonstrate ANC4+. CONCLUSION: The proportion of women reporting ANC4+ and of key ANC interventions in Malawi have increased significantly since 2004. However, we found that most women did not access the recommended number of ANC visits in Malawi, prior to the 2016 WHO policy change which may mean that women are less likely to undertake the 2016 WHO recommendation of 8 contacts per pregnancy. Additionally, our results highlighted significant variation in coverage according to key socio-demographic variables which should be considered when devising national strategies to ensure that all women access the appropriate frequency of ANC visits during their pregnancy.

Comparing the timeliness and adequacy of antenatal care uptake between women who married as child brides and adult brides in 20 sub-Saharan African countries.

CONTEXT: Considering the persistent poor maternal and child health outcomes in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), this study undertook a comparative analysis of the timing and adequacy of antenatal care uptake between women (aged 20-24 years) who married before age 18 and those who married at age 18 or above. METHOD: Data came from Demographic and Health Surveys of 20 SSA countries. We performed binary logistic regression analysis on pooled data of women aged 20-24 (n = 33,630). RESULTS: Overall, the percentage of child brides in selected countries was 57.1%, with the lowest prevalence found in Rwanda (19.1%) and the highest rate in Chad (80.9%). Central and West African countries had the highest prevalence of child marriage compared to other sub-regions. Bivariate results indicate that a lower proportion of child brides (50.0%) had 4+ ANC visits compared to the adult brides (60.9%) and a lower percentage of them (34.0%) initiated ANC visits early compared to the adult brides (37.5%). After controlling for country of residence and selected socio-economic and demographic characteristics, multivariable results established significantly lower odds of having an adequate/prescribed number of ANC visits among women who married before age 15 (OR: 0.63, CI: 0.57-0.67, p<0.001), and women who married at ages 15-17 (OR: 0.81, CI: 0.75-0.84, p<0.001) compared to those who married at age 18+. Similar results were established between age at first marriage and timing of first ANC visit. Other interesting results emerged that young women who married earlier than age 18 and those who married at age 18+ differ significantly by several socio-economic and demographic characteristics. CONCLUSION: Efforts to improve maternal and child health outcomes in SSA must give attention to address the underutilization and late start of antenatal care uptake among child brides.

Interbirth interval practices among reproductive age women in rural and Urban kebeles in Farta Woreda: Case-control study.

BACKGROUND: Closely spaced births have been reported all over the world especially in developing countries, and they have been correlated with poor maternal and infant health. Enhancing optimal birth interval is one of the key strategies to promote the health status of mothers and their children. However, factors affecting short birth intervals have not been identified in the study area and region. This study was aimed to assess determinants of short birth interval practice among reproductive women in Farta woreda, Ethiopia, 2019. METHODS: Community based unmatched case-control study design was conducted from February to March 2019. The sample size of 303 (101 case and 202 controls) was included by using multistage sampling and then study participants were selected by simple random sampling technique. The data was collected by structured and pre-tested face-to-face interviewer-administered questionnaires from the selected respondents. The collected data were entered with Epi-Data version 4.2 and analyzed by using SPSS version 23 software. Bivariate and multivariate analyses were used to examine the association. Odds ratios, 95% CI, and P-value <0.05 were used to determine the statistical association. RESULTS: Women who had no formal education (AOR = 2.15, 95% CI (1.19, 3.88), had not a history of antenatal care follow up (AOR = 2.66, 95% CI (1.55, 4.56)), did not use modern contraceptives before getting the latest pregnancy (AOR = 3.48, 95% CI (1.74, 6.95)) and duration of breastfeeding less than 24 months (AOR = 3.59, 95% CI (2.06, 6.24)) were significantly associated with short birth interval. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATION: Maternal education, duration of breastfeeding, contraceptive utilization, and antenatal follow-up were identified as the predictor variables of short birth interval practice. Therefore, providing health information for reproductive-age women about the benefit of contraceptive utilization, breastfeeding practice and antenatal care follow up to minimize problems resulting from the short birth intervals.

Exploring association between place of delivery and newborn care with early-neonatal mortality in Bangladesh.

OBJECTIVE: Bangladesh achieved the fourth Millennium Development Goal well ahead of schedule, with a significant reduction in under-5 mortality between 1990 and 2015. However, the reduction in neonatal mortality has been stagnant in recent years. The purpose of this study is to explore the association between place of delivery and newborn care with early neonatal mortality (ENNM), which represents more than 80% of total neonatal mortality in Bangladesh. METHODS: In this study, 2014 Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey data were used to assess early neonatal survival in children born in the three years preceding the survey. The roles of place of the delivery and newborn care in ENNM were examined using multivariable logistic regression models adjusted for clustering and relevant socio-economic, pregnancy, and newborn characteristics. RESULTS: Between 2012 and 2014, there were 4,624 deliveries in 17,863 sampled households, 39% of which were delivered at health facilities. The estimated early neonatal mortality rate during this period was 15 deaths per 1,000 live births. We found that newborns who had received at least 3 components of essential newborn care (ENC) were 56% less likely to die during the first seven days of their lives compared to their counterparts who received 0-2 components of ENC (aOR: 0.44; 95% CI: 0.24-0.81). In addition, newborns who had received any postnatal care (PNC) were 68% less likely to die in the early neonatal period than those who had not received any PNC (aOR: 0.32; 95% CI: 0.16-0.64). Facility delivery was not significantly associated with the risk of early newborn death in any of the models. CONCLUSION: Our study findings highlight the importance of newborn and postnatal care in preventing early neonatal deaths. Further, findings suggest that increasing the proportion of women who give birth in a healthcare facility is not sufficient to reduce ENNM by itself; to realize the theoretical potential of facility delivery to avert neonatal deaths, we must also ensure quality of care during delivery, guarantee all components of ENC, and provide high-quality early PNC. Therefore, sustained efforts to expand access to high-quality ENC and PNC are needed in health facilities, particularly in facilities serving low-income populations.

Do empowered women receive better quality antenatal care in Pakistan? An analysis of demographic and health survey data.

INTRODUCTION: Quality antenatal care is a window of opportunity for improving maternal and neonatal outcomes. Numerous studies have shown a positive effect of women empowerment on improved coverage of maternal and reproductive health services, including antenatal care (ANC). However, there is scarce evidence on the association between women's empowerment and improved ANC services both in terms of coverage and quality. Addressing this gap, this paper examines the relationship between multi-dimensional measures of women empowerment on utilization of quality ANC (service coverage and consultation) in Pakistan. METHODS: We used Pakistan Demographic and Health Survey 2017-18 (PDHS) data which comprises of 6,602 currently married women aged between 15-49 years who had a live birth in the past five years preceding the survey. Our exposure variables were three-dimensional measures of women empowerment (social independence, decision making, and attitude towards domestic violence), and our outcome variables were quality of antenatal coverage [i.e. a composite binary measure based on skilled ANC (trained professional), timeliness (1st ANC visit during first trimester), sufficiency of ANC visits (4 or more)] and quality of ANC consultation (i.e. receiving at least 7 or more essential antenatal components out of 8). Data were analysed in Stata 16.0 software. Descriptive statistics were used to describe sample characteristics and binary logistic regression was employed to assess the association between empowerment and quality of antenatal care. RESULTS: We found that 41.4% of the women received quality ANC coverage and 30.6% received quality ANC consultations during pregnancy. After controlling for a number of socio-economic and demographic factors, all three measures of women's empowerment independently showed a positive relationship with both outcomes. Women with high autonomy (i.e. strongly opposed the notion of violence) in the domain of attitude to violence are 1.66 (95% CI 1.30-2.10) and 1.45 (95% CI 1.19-1.75) and times more likely to receive antenatal coverage and quality ANC consultations respectively, compared with women who ranked low on attitude to violence. Women who enjoy high social independence had 1.87 (95% CI 1.44-2.43) and 2.78 (95% CI 2.04-3.79) higher odds of quality antenatal coverage and consultations respectively, as compared with their counterparts. Similarly, women who had high autonomy in household decision making 1.98 (95% CI 1.60-2.44) and 1.56 (95% CI 2.17-1.91) were more likely to receive quality antenatal coverage and consultation respectively, as compared to women who possess low autonomy in household decision making. CONCLUSION: The quality of ANC coverage and consultation with service provider is considerably low in Pakistan. Women's empowerment related to social independence, gendered beliefs about violence, and decision-making have an independent positive association with the utilisation of quality antenatal care. Thus, efforts directed towards empowering women could be an effective strategy to improve utilisation of quality antenatal care in Pakistan.

Tendência das desigualdades sociodemográficas no pré-natal na Baixada Litorânea do estado do Rio de Janeiro, 2000-2020: um estudo ecológico / Tendencia de las desigualdades sociodemográficas en la atención prenatal en la Baixada Litorânea, región del estado de Rio de Janeiro, Brasil, 2000-2020: un estudio ecológico / Trends in sociodemographic inequalities in prenatal care in Baixada Litorânea, a region of the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 2000-2020: an ecological study

Objetivo: Analisar a tendência das desigualdades sociodemográficas no acesso e utilização do pré-natal na Baixada Litorânea, estado do Rio de Janeiro, Brasil, em 2000-2020. Métodos: Estudo ecológico - série temporal - do número de consultas e da adequação do acesso ao pré-natal. Desigualdades absolutas (diferenças) e relativas (razões) foram calculadas entre categorias extremas das variáveis; tendências foram estimadas por regressão joinpoint. Resultados: Foram estudadas 185.242 gestantes. A proporção de ≥ 7 consultas aumentou anualmente 2,4% (IC95% 1,1;3,7) entre 2013 (54,4%) e 2020 (63,4%), estável para escolaridade menor que oito anos. A adequação de acesso aumentou 2,6% (IC95% 1,2;4,0) entre 2014 e 2020, estável para mulheres ≥ 35 anos e escolaridade ≥ 12 anos. Diminuíram desigualdades absolutas (entre 3,5% e 6,4%) para idade e raça/cor da pele, e relativas (entre 7,7% e 20,0%) para todas as variáveis. Conclusão: Acesso e número de consultas aumentaram, mas permaneceram menores para mulheres adolescentes, de baixa escolaridade e raça/cor da pele preta e parda.

Objetivo: Analizar la tendencia de las desigualdades sociodemográficas en el acceso y uso de la atención prenatal (APN) en la "Baixada Litorânea" en Rio de Janeiro, 2000-2020. Métodos: Estudio ecológico - serie temporal - del número de consultas y adecuación del acceso a la APN. Se calcularon desigualdades absolutas (diferencias) e relativas (razones) entre categorías extremas de variables. Tendencias fueron estimadas por regresión joinpoint. Resultados: Se estudiaron 185.242 gestantes. La proporción de ≥ 7 consultas aumentó en un 2,9% (IC95% 0,7;5,1), anualmente, entre 2013 (54,4%) e 2020 (64,7%), estable para menos de ocho años de escolaridad. La adecuación del acceso aumentó 2,6% (IC95% 1,2;4,0), estable en mujeres ≥ 35 años, e con ≥ 12 años de escolaridad. Disminuyeron las desigualdades absolutas (entre 3,5% y 6,4%) para edad y color/raza, y relativas (entre 7,7% y 20,0%) para todas las variables. Conclusión: Acceso e consultas aumentaron, pero persistieron menores entre adolescentes, baja escolaridad y raza/color de piel negro y marrón.

Objective: To analyze trends in sociodemographic inequalities in the access to and use of prenatal care in Baixada Litorânea, a region of the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 2000-2020. Methods: This was an ecological time-series study of the number of visits and adequacy of access to prenatal care. Absolute (differences) and relative (ratios) inequalities were calculated between extreme categories of variables; trends were estimated using joinpoint regression. Results: A total of 185,242 pregnant women were studied. A proportion of ≥ 7 visits increased annually by 2.4% (95%CI 1.1;3.7) between 2013 (54.4%) and 2020 (63.4%), stable for less than eight years of schooling. Adequacy of access increased 2.6% (95%CI 1.2;4.0) between 2014 and 2020, stable for women ≥ 35 years old and schooling ≥ 12 years. Absolute inequalities decreased (between 3.5% and 6.4%) for age and race/skin color, and relative inequalities decreased (between 7.7% and 20.0%) for all variables. Conclusion: Access and number of prenatal consultations increased, however, remained lower for adolescents, women with low level of schooling and those of Black and mixed race/skin color.

Bayesian Analysis of Trends in Utilization of Maternal Healthcare Services in Pakistan during 2006-2018.

OBJECTIVES: This study is aimed at investigating the time trends and disparities in access to maternal healthcare in Pakistan using Bayesian models. Study Design. A longitudinal study from 2006 to 2018. METHODS: The detailed analysis is based on the data from Pakistan Demographic and Health Survey (PDHS) conducted during 2006-2018. We have proposed Bayesian logistic regression models (BLRM) to investigate the trends of maternal healthcare in the country. Based on different goodness-of-fit criteria, the performance of proposed models has also been compared with repeatedly used classical logistic regression models (CLRM). RESULTS: The results from the analysis suggested that BLRM perform better than CLRM. The access to antenatal healthcare increased from 61% to 86% during years 2006-18. The utilization of medication also improved from 44% in 2006 to 60% in 2018. Despite the improvements from 2006 to 2018, every three out of ten women were not protected against neonatal tetanus, neither delivered in the health facility place nor availed with the skilled health provider at the time of delivery during 2018. Similarly, two-fifth mothers did not received any skilled postnatal checkup within two days after delivery. Additionally, the likelihood of MHS provided to mothers is in favor of mothers with lower ages, lower birth orders, urban residences, higher education, higher wealth quintiles, and residents of Sindh and Punjab. CONCLUSIONS: The gaps in utilization of MHS in different socioeconomic groups of the society have not decreased significantly during 2006-2018. Any future maternal health initiative in the country should focus to reduce the observed disparities among different socioeconomic sectors of the society.

Why do women attend antenatal care but give birth at home? a qualitative study in a rural Ghanaian District.

BACKGROUND: The Sustainable Development Goal Three has prioritised reducing maternal, under-5 and neonatal mortalities as core global health policy objectives. The place, where expectant mothers choose to deliver their babies has a direct effect on maternal health outcomes. In sub-Saharan Africa, existing literature has shown that some women attend antenatal care during pregnancy but choose to deliver their babies at home. Using the Andersen and Newman Behavioural Model, this study explored the institutional and socio-cultural factors motivating women to deliver at home after attending antenatal care. METHODS: A qualitative, exploratory, cross-sectional design was deployed. Data were collected from a purposive sample of 23 women, who attended antenatal care during pregnancy but delivered their babies at home, 10 health workers and 17 other community-level stakeholders. The data were collected through semi-structured interviews, which were audio-recorded, transcribed and thematically analysed. RESULTS: In line with the Andersen and Newman Model, the study discovered that traditional and religious belief systems about marital fidelity and the role of the gods in childbirth, myths about consequences of facility-based delivery, illiteracy, and weak women's autonomy in healthcare decision-making, predisposed women to home delivery. Home delivery was also enabled by inadequate midwives at health facilities, the unfriendly attitude of health workers, hidden charges for facility-based delivery, and long distances to healthcare facilities. The fear of caesarean section, also created the need for women who attended antenatal care to deliver at home. CONCLUSION: The study has established that socio-cultural and institutional level factors influenced women's decisions to deliver at home. We recommend a general improvement in the service delivery capacity of health facilities, and the implementation of collaborative educational and women empowerment programmes by stakeholders, to strengthen women's autonomy and reshape existing traditional and religious beliefs facilitating home delivery.

Association of Medicaid vs Marketplace Eligibility on Maternal Coverage and Access With Prenatal and Postpartum Care.

Importance: Policy makers are considering insurance expansions to improve maternal health. The tradeoffs between expanding Medicaid or subsidized private insurance for maternal coverage and care are unknown. Objective: To compare maternal coverage and care by Medicaid vs marketplace eligibility. Design, Setting, and Participants: A retrospective cohort study using a difference-in-difference research design was conducted from March 14, 2020, to April 22, 2021. Maternal coverage and care use were compared among women with family incomes 100% to 138% of the federal poverty level (FPL) residing in 10 Medicaid expansion sites (exposure group) who gained Medicaid eligibility under the Affordable Care Act and in 5 nonexpansion sites (comparison group) who gained marketplace eligibility before (2011-2013) and after (2015-2018) insurance expansion implementation. Participants included women aged 18 years or older from the 2011-2018 Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System survey. Exposures: Eligibility for Medicaid or marketplace coverage under the Affordable Care Act. Main Outcomes and Measures: Outcomes included coverage in the preconception and postpartum periods, early and adequate prenatal care, and postpartum checkups and effective contraceptive use. Results: The study population included 11 432 women age 18 years and older (32% age 18-24 years, 33% age 25-29 years, 35% age ≥30 years) with incomes 100% to 138% FPL: 7586 in a Medicaid state (exposure group) and 3846 in a nonexpansion marketplace state (comparison group). Women in marketplace states were younger, had higher educational level and marriage rates, and had less racial and ethnic diversity. Medicaid relative to marketplace eligibility was associated with increased Medicaid coverage (20.3 percentage points; 95% CI, 12.8 to 30.0 percentage points), decreased private insurance coverage (-10.8 percentage points; 95% CI, -13.3 to -7.5 percentage points), and decreased uninsurance (-8.7 percentage points; 95% CI, -20.1 to -0.1 percentage points) in the preconception period, increased postpartum Medicaid (17.4 percentage points; 95% CI, 1.7 to 34.3 percentage points) and increased adequate prenatal care (4.4 percentage points; 95% CI, 0.1 to 11.0 percentage points) in difference-in-difference models. No evidence of significant differences in early prenatal care, postpartum check-ups, or postpartum contraception was identified. Conclusions and Relevance: In this cohort study, eligibility for Medicaid was associated with increased Medicaid, lower preconception uninsurance, and increased adequate prenatal care use. The lower rates of preconception uninsurance among Medicaid-eligible women suggest that women with low incomes were facing barriers to marketplace enrollment, underscoring the potential importance of reducing financial barriers for the population with low incomes.

Health care costs associated with clinic visits for prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

ABSTRACT: Early and appropriate antenatal care (ANC) is key for the effectiveness of prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). We evaluated the importance of ANC visits and related service costs for women receiving option B+ to prevent mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) of HIV in Tanzania.A cost analysis from a health care sector perspective was conducted using routine data of 2224 pregnant women newly diagnosed with HIV who gave birth between August 2014 and May 2016 in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. We evaluated risk of infant HIV infection at 12 weeks postnatally in relation to ANC visits (<4 vs ≥4 visits). Costs for service utilisation were estimated through empirical observations and the World Health Organisation Global Price Reporting Mechanism.Mean gestational age at first ANC visit was 22 (±7) weeks. The average number of ANC/prevention of MTCT visits among the 2224 pregnant women in our sample was 3.6 (95% confidence interval [CI] 3.6-3.7), and 57.3% made ≥4 visits. At 12 weeks postnatally, 2.7% (95% CI 2.2-3.6) of HIV exposed infants had been infected. The risk of MTCT decreased with the number of ANC visits: 4.8% (95% CI 3.6-6.4) if the mother had <4 visits, and 1.0% (95% CI 0.5-1.7) at ≥4. The adjusted MTCT rates decreased by 51% (odds ratio 0.49, 95% CI 0.31-0.77) for each additional ANC visit made. The potential cost-saving was 2.2 US$ per woman at ≥4 visits (84.8 US$) compared to <4 visits (87.0 US$), mainly due to less defaulter tracing.Most pregnant women living with HIV in Dar es Salaam initiated ANC late and >40% failed to adhere to the recommended minimum of 4 visits. Improved ANC attendance would likely lead to fewer HIV-infected infants and reduce both short and long-term health care costs due to less spending on defaulter tracing and future treatment costs for the children.

Adopting Andersen's behavior model to identify factors influencing maternal healthcare service utilization in Bangladesh.

BACKGROUND: Equitable maternal healthcare service access and it's optimum utilization remains a challenge for many developing countries like Bangladesh, and different predisposing, enabling, and need-based factors affect the level of maternal healthcare use. The evidently poor maternal healthcare service utilization and disparities among groups in Bangladesh are concerning considering its effect on maternal health outcomes. The study aimed to identify the factors that influence maternal healthcare service (MHS) utilization in Bangladesh by adopting Andersen's behavior model of health service use as the theoretical framework. METHODS: The 2017-18 Bangladesh Demographic Health Survey (2017-18 BDHS) data were used which is nationally representative. The survey study used two-stage stratified sampling to select study households, and data were collected through face-to-face interviews. The desirable, moderate, and undesirable maternal health service (MHS) package was developed based on antenatal, and delivery care services use during pregnancy and childbirth. Multinomial logistic regression and discriminant analysis were performed to analyze the factors that affect MHS use. RESULTS: Out of 5,011 ever-married women, only 31.2% of women utilized the desirable level of MHS. The likelihood of using the desirable level of MHS package, relative to the undesirable category, was 9.38 times (OR: 9.38, 95% CI: 4.30-20.44) higher for women with a higher level of education compared to illiterate women, and the same trend was noticed for husband's education. The wealth index had the highest standardized function coefficients (Beta coefficient: 0.49) in discriminatory function. Women with the richest wealth index were more than 23 times (OR: 23.27, 95% CI: 12.69-42.68) likely to have utilized desirable MHS than their poorest counterparts. The likelihood of service uses also varied according to the child's birth order, administrative regions, and area of residence (rural vs. urban). CONCLUSIONS: Policies and interventions directed towards poverty reduction, universal education, and diminishing geographical disparities of healthcare access might influence the desirable use of maternal healthcare services in Bangladesh.

Identifying Factors Associated with Barriers in the Number of Antenatal Care Service Visits among Pregnant Women in Rural Parts of Ethiopia.

BACKGROUND: Antenatal care visit is the service given to pregnant women to have a safe pregnancy and a healthy baby. The main objective of this study was to identify potential factors for the barriers in the number of antenatal care visits. METHODS: Data for this study was taken from the 2016 Ethiopian demographic health survey. All childbearing women from rural parts of Ethiopia were considered in this study, and the count regression model was used to explore the major risk factors for the barriers in the number of antenatal care service visits. RESULTS: Nearly 42% of pregnant mothers did not visit antenatal care services, and only 1% of the mothers attended antenatal care service visits eight times and above. From hurdle Poisson regression model results, women having previous pregnancy complication (AOR = 1.16; P ≤ 0.001); husbands with primary education (AOR = 1.02; P=0.004), secondary education (AOR = 1.117; P ≤ 0.0001), and higher education (AOR = 1.191; P ≤ 0.001); middle wealth index (AOR = 1.08; P=0.006); richer wealth index (AOR = 1.10; P ≤ 0.001); maternal age 35-49 (AOR = 0.690; P ≤ 0.001); being exposed to media access (AOR = 1.745; P=0.019); having distance problem (AOR = 0.75; P=0.013); planned pregnancy (AOR = 1.42; P=0.002); and mothers with primary education (AOR = 1.85; P ≤ 0.001) and secondary (AOR = 2.387; P ≤ 0.001) were statistically associated with barriers in the number of ANC service visits. CONCLUSION: As indicated in the findings, there is underutilization of the antenatal care service visits regarding rural women in Ethiopia. Having a low education level, no media access, distance problem from the health facility, and not planned pregnancy decrease the rate of antenatal care service visits. To fill this discrepancy, the concerned bodies including government and nongovernmental organizations should work on the identified factors in the rural parts of the country to save children and mothers.

Utilization pattern of antenatal care and determining factors among reproductive-age women in Borama, Somaliland.

BACKGROUND: Antenatal care is essential care given during pregnancy, to diagnose and treat complications that could endanger both the lives of mother and child. The risk of dying from pregnancy-related issues is often associated with a lack of access to antenatal care services. This issue is a prominent matter in developing countries such as Somaliland which has one of the highest maternal mortality rates in the world. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study is to determine the frequency and timing of antenatal care utilization and factors influencing it among reproductive-age women. METHODS: A population-based cross-sectional survey is conducted among 330 randomly selected mothers who gave birth in the past two years in Borama, Somaliland. RESULT: Although a significant number of women utilized antenatal care in their pregnancy only 31.1% initiated the first visit within the first trimester and 48.3% received less than the recommended four visits. Fewer antenatal care visits are significantly associated with age (OR = 3.018; CI = 1.264-7.207), gravida (OR = 3.295; CI = 1.200-9.045), and gestation age (OR = 1.737; CI = 1.013-2.979). Early marriage (OR=0.495; CI = 0.252-0.973), and large family size (OR = 3.952; CI = 1.330-11.742) are associated with delay in the commencement of the first antenatal care visit. CONCLUSION: Young women, women with multiple pregnancies, women married at a young age, and women with a large family size have a higher probability of delaying prenatal care and having fewer visits. Based on the findings, uplifting the socioeconomic status and literacy level of women through community-based education and developing strategies that would take the determining factors into account may contribute to improved and adequate utilization of antenatal care.