Determinants of Focused Antenatal Care Utilization Among Women in Simiyu Region Tanzania

Antenatal care (ANC) is a critical period for promoting the health of both mothers and babies. ANC visit is a key entry point for a pregnant woman to the health care system to receive health intervention. The new World Health Organization (WHO) guideline recommends eight ANC contacts. However, the coverage of at least four ANC visits is still low in the Simiyu region.ObjectiveTo assess determinants of focused ANC visits utilization among women in the Simiyu Region Tanzania. MethodologyThe study employed a cross-sectional study among women of reproductive age. Data was collected through an interviewer-administered questionnaire and analyzed using Stata version 15. Data were summarized using mean and standard deviation for continuous variables while frequency and percentage were used for categorical variables. A generalized linear model, Poisson family, with a log link was used to identify determinants of focused ANC utilization. ResultsAll 785 women analyzed reported having at least one ANC visit, with 259 (34%) having four or more visits and only 40 (5.1%) having eight or more visits. Women who made a self-decision were 30% less likely to complete four and more ANC visits than their counterparts (APR = 0.70; 95%CI = 0.501-0.978). Women who visited the dispensary were 27% less likely to complete four ANC visits than those who visited health centers (APR = 0.73; 95%CI = 0.540-0.982). However, education level and planned pregnancy were both marginally significantly associated with focused ANC utilisation. ConclusionGenerally, the majority of pregnant women in the Simiyu region do not adequately utilize four and more ANC visits. There is a need to enhance health education to women and their spouses on the importance of attending four or more visits and improving the quality of maternal health services to facilitate the utilization of ANC among women in the study area.