Improving Focused ANC services utilization among pregnant women who visits ANC Service at Tegede district public health facilities, Central Gondar, Northwest Ethiopia, 2022: a pre-post interventional study

Abstract

Abstract Introduction: Antenatal care is the maintenance of healthy pregnancy outcomes through accurate and consistent implementation of principles. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends at least four antenatal care visits for all pregnant women. Focused antenatal care (FANC) recommends four ANC visits for women with uncomplicated pregnancies. The four-visit emphasizes on quality of care and package of services. But the previous studies were on factors of ANC utilization, but this study is aimed on improving focused antenatal care utilization among those attending ANC. Objective: This study aimed at improving focused antenatal care services utilization among pregnant women who visit ANC service at Tegede district Public health facilities, Central Gondar, Northwest Ethiopia from January 1 to June 30, 2022. Method: A pre-post interventional study was carried out from January 1 to June 30, 2022. A total of 468 participants were selected using systematic random sampling in all selected Public health facilities. The independent t-test was used for comparing pre- and post-intervention. Indicators at p-value <0.05 % with a 95% confidence (CI) reported as significant. For qualitative component; a purposive sampling technique was used to select six interviewers and thematic analysis was done. Results: A total of 466 participants were included in the study with a response rate of 99.6%. The proportion of focused antenatal care utilization in pre and post intervention was (37.37% with95%CI=30.20%, 45.00%) and (79.00% with 95%CI=70.40%, 87.59%), respectively and increased from pre intervention by 41.63% (mean difference of 0.42 with 95% CI (0.22, 0.62). Antenatal care visit rate has a highest change with 59.00% (mean difference: 0.59, 95%CI= 0.59, 0.60) and gestational age calculation has a lowest change with 3.56% (mean difference: 0.35, 0.040, 0.029). Conclusion and Recommendation: Overall focused antenatal care utilization was increased with mean different was 41.60% and its indicators gestational age measure, syphilis screening, tetanus toxoid Vaccine, iron provided, mid upper arm circumference, HIV test and visit rate had a significance change from preintervention to post-test intervention in the independent t-test analysis.

It is better to implement these intervention strategies to other areas and health professionals provided ANC service based on WHO guidelines and protocols. Key words; focused antenatal care, utilization, improving, Tegede district, Ethiopia.