Factors for late initiation of antenatal care in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania: A qualitative study.
BMC Pregnancy Childbirth
; 19(1): 415, 2019 Nov 12.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-31718586
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND:
Antenatal care (ANC) provided by a trained health care provider is important for monitoring pregnancy thereby reducing potential risks for the mother and child during pregnancy and delivery. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends at least four ANC visits to all pregnant women. While the proportion of women who attend at least one ANC in low-income countries is high, most pregnant women start their first ANC attendance very late. In Tanzania only 24% of pregnant women start their first ANC attendance before the fourth month of pregnancy. While factors for the utilization of antenatal care in general have been widely studied, there is paucity of studies on the factors affecting timing of the first ANC attendance. This study aimed to understand individual, community, and health system factors that lead to the delay in seeking ANC services among pregnant women in Ilala Municipal in Dar es Salaam region, Tanzania.METHODS:
A qualitative exploratory study, using in-depth interviews with 20 pregnant women and five health care workers was conducted in three different health facilities in Dar es Salaam Tanzania. Thematic analysis approach was used to analyse the data.RESULTS:
Individual perceptions of antenatal care, past experience with pregnancy, fear of pregnancy disclosure, and socio-cultural beliefs were the key individual and social factors for late ANC attendance. Shortage of trained health care workers, lack of spouse's escort and health providers' disrespect to pregnant women were the main health system barriers to early ANC attendance.CONCLUSIONS:
This study concludes that community members should be sensitized about the importance of early ANC attendance. Additionally, while spouse's escort policy is important for promoting PMTCT, the interpretation of the policy should not solely be left to the health providers. District and regional health officials should provide correct interpretation of this policy.Palavras-chave
Texto completo:
1
Temas:
ECOS
/
Equidade_desigualdade
Bases de dados:
MEDLINE
Assunto principal:
Cuidado Pré-Natal
/
Aceitação pelo Paciente de Cuidados de Saúde
/
Pessoal de Saúde
/
Gestantes
Tipo de estudo:
Qualitative_research
Aspecto:
Equity_inequality
Limite:
Adult
/
Female
/
Humans
/
Pregnancy
País/Região como assunto:
Africa
Idioma:
En
Revista:
BMC Pregnancy Childbirth
Assunto da revista:
OBSTETRICIA
Ano de publicação:
2019
Tipo de documento:
Article
País de afiliação:
Tanzânia