RESUMO
Data from the 1988 Vietnam Demographic and Health Survey and 1990 Vietnam Accessibility of Contraceptives Survey were used in this analysis of the influence of selected individual and community characteristics on the utilization of prenatal care in Vietnam. Specific analysis of the impact of availability of health services and other development characteristics of the community on utilization of prenatal care was done in a rural subsample. The woman's educational level and total number of living children were the most significant predictors of prenatal care utilization. Age independent of parity did not significantly affect the use of prenatal care. Rural women and women living in provinces with the highest infant mortality rates were significantly less likely to use prenatal services than their counterparts in the urban areas and provinces with low infant mortality rates. Non-physician health care providers were the main sources of prenatal care for women in both rural and urban areas.
PIP: Researchers analyzed data from the 1988 Vietnam Demographic and Health Survey and the 1990 Vietnam Accessibility of Contraceptives Survey to determine the influence of individual and community characteristics on use of prenatal care. Most pregnant women received prenatal care services from midwives or assistant physicians (34.8-51.2%). Less than 5% received prenatal care from a physician. Level of education and utilization of prenatal care were positively associated (p = .0001). Higher parity women were less likely to use prenatal care (47.1% vs. 68.8%), perhaps reflecting that they were more confident about pregnancy and felt less need for prenatal care. Maternal age did not affect utilization of prenatal care, regardless of parity. Urban women were more likely to use prenatal care than rural women and those living in the provinces where infant mortality was higher than 40/1000 live births. The lack of transport in rural areas was likely responsible for this difference in prenatal care utilization. Absence of prenatal care services in provinces with high infant mortality rates probably explained the difference in prenatal care use. Among rural women, the factor having the most influence on prenatal care utilization was education. These findings emphasized the need for promotion of prenatal care services among women with limited education and expansion of the accessibility and availability of prenatal services. They also indicted the importance of improving women's education which in turn improves utilization of prenatal care services.