FACTORS INFLUENCING FIRST TRIMESTER ANTENATAL CARE REGISTRATION AMONG PREGNANT WOMEN IN THE WEST GONJA DISTRICT IN THE NORTHERN REGION OF GHANA

Abstract

Over the years policy makers in the health sector have worked towards improving maternal and child health services. The World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends that pregnant women start receiving antenatal care preferably in the first trimester and to have at least four visits before delivery. The Ghana Health Service has adopted and implemented these and many other recommendations but there have been challenges in achieving universal coverage of first trimester registration especially in the West Gonja District. This thesis was conducted in the West Gonja District in the Northern Region of Ghana between January and June 2015. The study used a cross sectional design to determine factors that influence the timing of antenatal care registration among pregnant women in the West Gonja District. The study used cross-sectional method to recruit a total of 231 pregnant women from four study sites in the four sub-districts in the district. Participants were recruited by systematic and convenience sampling methods and 231 structured questionnaires administered to them. Data collected was analysed using the Microsoft Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 21. Cross-tabulation analysis was performed to determine if there was association between ANC booking time and the other variables. Significant findings were associated with maternal age, mode of pregnancy recognition, number of pregnancies, number of children, attitude of health professionals among others. The total number of pregnant women who registered for ANC within the first trimester was one hundred and twelve, accounting for 49.1 % of all respondents. Younger women, women with fewer children than 2 and women with co-existing medical conditions were found to be more likely to register for ANC earlier. Moreover, the attitude of health professionals and the availability of a combination of different cadres namely nurses, midwives and medical doctors were also found to be significantly associated with the timing of ANC booking. Based on the findings the Ghana Health Service needs to have a mix of health professionals at hospitals and health centres and as well train them to improve upon their attitude towards clients.