article · Obstetrics and Gynecology International
Antenatal care allows pregnant women to access critical preventive and curative healthcare services, yet timing and attendance vary significantly. A cross-sectional survey of 500 pregnant women alongside focus group discussions with married men and women in the Democratic Republic of Congo examined factors shaping clinic attendance. Most participants accessed care, but over 80 percent delayed booking until after the first trimester, and over five percent did not attend at all. Timely attendance correlated with maternal age, higher education, proximity to a local health centre, and the presence of a male partner. Key obstacles preventing early enrolment included service fees, individual income constraints, long travel distances, extended clinic waiting times, social and religious restrictions, and community stigmatisation directed at very young, older, or currently lactating mothers. Early attendance remains notably delayed among poorer women who lack formal education and live without a partner.
Early antenatal care is vital for monitoring maternal health and preventing complications, especially in regions affected by endemic diseases such as malaria. Identifying specific socioeconomic and cultural obstacles, such as transport costs and social stigma, helps healthcare providers and policymakers design targeted community interventions that encourage timely clinical visits for vulnerable and isolated pregnant women.
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<i>Background</i>. Antenatal care (ANC) attendance helps pregnant women to benefit from preventive and curative services. <i>Methods</i>. Determinants for ANC attendance were identified through a cross-sectional survey in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Sociocultural bottlenecks were assessed via focus groups discussion of married men and women. <i>Results</i>. In this survey, 28 of the 500 interviewed pregnant women (5.6%) did not attend ANC services and 82.4% booked over the first trimester. The first visit is positively influenced by the reproductive age (OR: 0.52, 95% CI(0.28-0.95), <i>p</i> < 0.04), the educational level (OR: 0.41,95% CI(0.17-0.97), <i>p</i> < 0.04), the nearby health center (OR: 0.43, 95% CI(0.2-0.92), <i>p</i> < 0.03), and the presence of a male partner (OR: 10.48, 95% CI(2.1-52.23), <i>p</i> < 0.001). The barriers to early booking were (i) the cost of service; (ii) the appearance or individual income; (iii) the geographical inaccessibility or distance to health facilities; (iv) social and religious prohibitions; (v) the stigmatization from other women when conceiving in the late ages or young or while still lactating (parity); (vi) the time for waiting for services. <i>Conclusion</i>. The early ANC attendance is delayed among poor women with little education and living alone.
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DOI: 10.1155/2016/5423413
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