EXPLORING THE DETERMINANTS OF INITIATION OF ANTENATAL CARE AMONG PREGNANT WOMEN IN NANTON DISTRICT OF NORTHERN GHANA

Abstract

The mother's and child's health are negatively affected by the late start to antenatal care. Adverse maternal health outcomes, such as maternal deaths are influenced by the delayed commencement and insufficient use of ANC throughout pregnancy. The study therefore explored the determinants of late initiation of antenatal care among pregnant women in Nanton District of Northern Ghana. The study employed a descriptive exploratory design in a qualitative approach. Fifteen late antenatal care initiators within the reproductive age 18-49 years in the Nanton District were purposively recruited for the study. A semi structured interview guide was used by the researcher for data collection. Thematic analysis was employed for data analysis. Every participant recruited for the study was assigned with a code based on their chronological order of recruitment. The study found nine participants were within the 18-29 years range, seven of them were housewives, eight participants had attained primary education, thirteen of the women were Dagomba’s, twelve belonged to the Islamic religion, and eight of them indicated it was their first pregnancy. Knowledge of the pregnant women on the effects of late initiation of antenatal care was found to be good as participants revealed it helps mother and child, missing initial routine medications/vaccines, and difficulty during labor. Increased confidence and rapport, better pregnancy outcomes, learning about changes in pregnancy, sex, and estimated date of delivery of the baby, and education from healthcare personnel were some of the benefits revealed by the women they derive from initiating antenatal care. The barriers found were financial difficulty, cost of medical services, and transportation issues which included poor road network, long distances to the health facility, and non-availability of commercial vehicles. Husband-related factors, family-related issues, and presence of cultural beliefs and practices. The sources of information on the effects of initiating ANC late were television, radio stations, community information centers, health providers/facilities, and family and friends. The government of Ghana through the Ghana Health Service should invest in upgrading healthcare facilities to ensure a comfortable and private environment for antenatal care visits, consistent provision of training for healthcare providers on compassionate care, and effective communication to improve their knowledge in caring for pregnant women were some of the recommendations the study made.