Strategies for Improving Utilization of Ante-natal Health Services by Women of Child Bearing Age
CHAPTER ONE
Purpose of the Study
Generally, the study is designed to find out the strategies for improving utilization of Ante-natal health services by women of child bearing age. Specifically, the study is to:
- Identify and characterize the type of antenatal care services available to women.
- examine the awareness of knowledge and type of ANC facilities
- examine the effect of physical and economic distance on utilization of ANC services in the study area
- evaluate user’s perception of adequacy attitude of ANC personnel
- evaluate the associated community benefits of ANC.
CHAPTER TWO
CONCEPTUAL ISSUES AND RELATED LITERATURE REVIEW
CONCEPTUAL ISSUES
Concept of Antenatal Care Services
Antenatal Care Services refers to the regular medical and nursing care recommended for women during pregnancy. Antenatal care services is a type of preventative care with the goal of providing regular check-ups that allow doctors or midwives to treat and prevent potential health problems throughout the course of the pregnancy while promoting healthy lifestyles that benefit both mother and child (Ahmed and Mosely 2002). During check-ups, women will receive medical information over maternal physiological changes in pregnancy, biological changes, and prenatal nutrition including prenatal vitamins. Recommendations on management and healthy lifestyle changes are also made during regular check-ups. The availability of routine prenatal care has played a part in reducing maternal death rates and miscarriages as well as birth defects, low birth weight, and other preventable health problems Acharya and Cleland (2000).
Becker, Peter and Black (2003), posits that Antenatal care services is medical attention given to the expectant mother and her developing baby. It also involves the mother’s caring for herself by following her health care provider’s advice, practicing good nutrition, getting plenty of rest, exercising sensibly, and avoiding things that could harm her or her baby. Afari et al (2005), observed that pregnant girls and women are referred to maternity services or Midwife Obstetric Units (MOUs) in urban areas and satellite or fixed clinics in the rural areas.
MOUs are birthing units run by midwives in the community for primary healthcare patients.
It’s advisable for expectant mothers to book their first visit to the clinic before 20 weeks or as soon as possible thereafter.
Some concepts that are the main determinants of antenatal care are pertinent to this study which needs to be examined. Several studies concentrate on demography and fertility topics, such as the Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS). Recent DHS-based studies on the use of antenatal care are available for rural Nigeria, Ghana (Addai, 2000), Kenya (Magadi, Madise and Rodrigues, 2000), Peru (Elo, 1992) and Thailand (Raghupathy, 1996). Similar surveys focusing on demography and fertility are used recently in studies on the use of antenatal care in Jamaica (McCaw-Binns et al, 1995), Nepal (Acharya and Cleland, 2000), and the Metro Cebu area in the Philippines (Becker et al., 1993). The DHS and similar surveys are rich in detail on demography and fertility, but less detailed in economic factors such as costs for antenatal care and household living standard. A somewhat older study on antenatal care use based on a survey that covered both demographic as economic topics concerns also the Metro Cebu area in the Philippines (Wong et al., 1987). By using more precise information on income level and antenatal care costs, our estimations for the effects of these other factors will be less biased.
CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Reconnaissance Survey
A Reconnaissance Survey was carried out in order to be well acquainted with the study area and the selected wards. This helped the researcher to have a better view of the study area, localities and other relevant information.
Sources of Data
Primary source of data
This was obtained from some structured of questionnaire administered through oral interviews and FGDs. The questionnaire was designed to elicit information on the following types of data:
- Basic demographic data: sex, age, marital status, household size, level of education, social and economic characteristics: poverty, spousal income, occupation, number of children every born, women’s education, contraceptive use, availability, accessibility ad utilization of Antenatal Care Services by the women in the area, staffing, drug routine, health counseling and equipments.
CHAPTER FOUR
DATA PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS
INTRODUCTION
This chapter deals with the analysis, interpretation and discussion of the data collected from a research work on “access and utilization of antenatal care services”, the data were analyzed and presented using sample frequencies and percentages. Although 382 questionnaires were administered, only 333 were completely filled and valid for analysis. The result is therefore based on 333 respondents
CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS
INTRODUCTION
The study of “access and utilization of antenatal care services” in kano municipal local government area could be said to be important in the life of women most especially pregnant women in order to bring about a better way of living among women and pregnant mothers. What contained in this chapter is summary of findings, conclusion, recommendation as well as suggestion for future research.
SUMMARY OF FINDINGS
Considering the purpose of this research it has been observed that wellbeing of women most especially pregnant women is very important in the society. To achieve sound health by women in the society, there is the need for women to understand the level of their health and if pregnant the level of the baby’s health. They should understand how to live in perfect health, take care of themselves to prevent the spread of disease and also at the course of delivery there will be no course for alarm.
CONCLUSION
Based on the outcome of the study, the following conclusions were made:
- Lack of proper accessibility of antenatal facility have an influence on pregnant women in kano local government.
- The proper funding of antenatal care center have brought about the development of the locality, and an improvement in the standard of living of the people.
iii. Islam, the predominant religion in the northern states, strongly supports education of both boys and girls. To this end, traditional and religious leaders can serve as key partners, as can organizations currently working in education. Antenatal education, especially when combined with postnatal education using a set of different interventions, is effective for increasing the breastfeeding initiation rate and prolonging exclusive breastfeeding (Elbourne 1992., Stockley 2005.,Tedstone, Duce andAviles 1998).
RECOMMENDATIONS
Based on the findings of this study and its limitations, the researcher recommends the followings:
- Pregnant women should be offered information based on the current available evidence together with support to enable them to make informed decisions about their care. This information should include where they will be seen and who will undertake their care, this should be done in order to avoid improper knowledge on their health
- Women with any risk factor should be properly checked and treated in order to bring about a sound delivery.
- Inadequate health centers can cause great effect on the wellbeing of women most especially pregnant mothers, so therefore, health care center should be provided in various local governments in order to avoid distance as being an excuse of location of health care center, or if possible vehicles be provide to various local government to bring about efficient transportation to the health care centers.
- In relation to the ill-equipped health care facilities, it is recommended that all health care center should be replaced with new ones by the center or by government, in order to help the health workers to effectively deliver their services.
- For effective delivery of services, health care centers should try and employ more staffs if short of staff, this will help in attending to patient in time without delay.
- Also contentiousness of staff to patients should be advocated by ANC management so that more pregnant women (particularly young mothers) will be encourage to patronize ANC.
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