Receiving antenatal care components and associated factors in Northwestern Tanzania.

INTRODUCTION: Tanzania had an estimated 5.400 maternal deaths in 2020. Suboptimal quality of antenatal care (ANC) presents a major challenge. It is not known what precisely the uptake of the various ANC components is, such as counseling on birth preparedness and complication readiness, preventive measures and screening tests. We assessed the level of receiving the various ANC components and associated factors in order to identify opportunities to improve ANC. METHODS: A cross-sectional household survey using a structured questionnaire through face-to-face interviews, was conducted in April 2016 in Mara and Kagera regions, Tanzania, applying a two-stage, stratified-cluster sampling design. The analysis included 1,162 women aged 15-49 years who attended ANC during their last pregnancy and had given birth not longer than two years prior to the survey. To account for inter- and intra-cluster variations, we used mixed-effect logistic regression to examine factors associated with receiving essential ANC components: counseling around birth preparedness and complication readiness (with presumed effects on knowledge about danger signs) and preventive measures. RESULTS: About In 878 (76.1%) women preparedness for birth and its complications was observed to exist. Overall counseling was low where 902 (77.6%) women received adequate counseling. Overall knowledge of danger signs was low in 467 women (40.2%). Uptake of preventive measures was low, with presumptive malaria treatment in 828 (71.3%) and treatment of intestinal worms in 519 (44.7%) women. Screening test levels varied for HIV in 1,057 (91.2%), any blood pressure measurement in 803 (70.4%), syphilis in 367 (32.2%) and tuberculosis in 186 (16.3%) women. After adjusting for age, wealth and parity, the likelihood of receiving adequate counseling on essential topics was less in women without education versus primary education (aOR 0.64; 95% CI 0.42-0.96) and in women who had <4 ANC visits versus ≥4 visits (aOR 0.57; 95% CI 0.40-0.81). Receiving care in privacy or not (aOR 2.01; 95% CI 1.30-3.12) and having secondary education as compared to primary education (aOR 1.92; 95% CI 1.10-3.70) were associated with receiving adequate counseling. Odds of receiving adequate care in at least one ANC visit were lower in women with joint decision making on major purchases versus decision making by male partner or other family members alone (aOR 0.44; 95% CI 0.24-0.78), similar to being less knowledgeable on danger signs (aOR 0.70; 95% CI 0.51-0.96). CONCLUSION: Overall uptake of various essential ANC components was low. Frequent ANC visits and ensuring privacy are all essential to improve the uptake of ANC.

Family Planning Uptake in Kagera and Mara Regions in Tanzania: A Cross-Sectional Community Survey.

In Tanzania, 27.1% of all women of reproductive age are currently using modern contraception and 16.8% have an unmet need for family planning. We therefore examined factors associated with family planning uptake after giving birth in two regions of Tanzania. The survey, which collected information beyond that collected in the Tanzania Demographic Health Survey, used a two-stage, stratified-cluster sampling design, conducted in April 2016 in Mara and Kagera regions in Tanzania. A total of 1184 women aged 15-49 years, who had given birth less than two years prior to the survey were included. Logistic regression mixed effect modelling was used to examine factors associated with family planning uptake. A total of 393 (33.2%) women used family planning methods and 929 (79%) required prior approval from their partners. Participation of men in utilization of maternal health care was low, where 680 (57.8%) women responded that their partners accompanied them to at least one antenatal care (ANC) counselling visit and 120 (10%) responded that their partners participated in family planning counselling. Women who did not want to disclose whether they had discussed family planning with their partners, strikingly had the highest percentage of using family planning methods after birth. Factors independently associated with family planning uptake included: having discussed family planning with the partner (aOR 3.22; 95% CI 1.99-5.21), having been counselled on family planning during antenatal care (aOR 2.68; 95% CI 1.78-4.05), having discussed family planning with a community health worker (CHW) (aOR 4.59; 95% CI 2.53-8.33) and with a facility health care worker (aOR 1.93; 95% CI 1.29-2.90), having primary or higher educational level (aOR 1.66; 95% CI 1.01-2.273), and being in union (aOR 1.86; 95% CI 1.02-3.42). Educational interaction with community and facility health workers, as well as having a supportive partner as facilitator increased uptake of family planning. This needs to be prioritized in regions with similar socio-cultural norms in Tanzania and beyond.

Women's Experience of Facility-Based Childbirth Care and Receipt of an Early Postnatal Check for Herself and Her Newborn in Northwestern Tanzania.

Negative experiences of care may act as a deterrent to current and/or future utilization of facility-based health services. To examine the situation in Tanzania, we conducted a sub-analysis of a cross-sectional household survey conducted in April 2016 in the Mara and Kagera regions of Tanzania. The sample included 732 women aged 15⁻49 years who had given birth in a health facility during the previous two years. Log binomial regression models were used to investigate the association between women's experiences of care during childbirth and the receipt of early postnatal checks before discharge. Overall, 73.1% of women reported disrespect and abuse, 60.1% were offered a birth companion, 29.1% had a choice of birth position, and 85.5% rated facility cleanliness as good. About half of mothers (46.3%) and newborns (51.4%) received early postnatal checks before discharge. Early postnatal checks for both mothers and newborns were associated with no disrespect and abuse (RR: 1.23 and 1.14, respectively) and facility cleanliness (RR: 1.29 and 1.54, respectively). Early postnatal checks for mothers were also associated with choice of birth position (RR: 1.18). The results suggest that a missed opportunity in providing an early postnatal check is an indication of poor quality of the continuum of care for mothers and newborns. Improved quality of care at one stage can predict better care in subsequent stages.