The Determinants of Utilisation of Antenatal Care Services During the First Trimester of Pregnancy. A Study of Adolesent Mothers Attending Gulu Regional Referral Hospital
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Date
2024-04-05
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Abstract
Adolescents who receive antenatal care (ANC) have the opportunity to recognize and react to the warning signs and symptoms of obstetric issues. One of the most important factors in determining a safe birth and positive birth outcomes is the use of enough ANC. The goal of this study was to determine the factors that affect utilization of ANC services among adolescents at the Gulu Regional Referral Hospital during the first trimester. The study used an analytical cross-sectional design with mixed method approach. The study's participants were 402 teenagers (10-19 years old) chosen at random from the ANC clinic. The researcher administered a questionnaire and performed six in-depth interviews. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to examine the quantitative data that had been collected. Codification and themes were used for qualitative data. The utilization of ANC in first trimester was at 43.3%. Age (aOR:0.6, 95% CI: 0.41-0.94, p=0.025), being separated (aOR:0.4, 95% CI: 0.23-0.75, p=0.006), being single (aOR:0.2, 95% CI: 0.12-0.33, p =0.001), having attained tertiary level of education (aOR:12.2, 95% CI: 3.18-45.1, p =0.001), living with little information on the timing of ANC, lack of autonomy, lack of confidentiality, and delays at the clinic severely impacted the utilization of ANC in first trimester. In conclusion, raising ANC utilization is very important. Intervention for this include giving adolescents the right instructions, moving or setting up a clinic just for teenagers, improving time management, and hiring more midwives.