No abstract

Background: Antenatal care is a care for pregnant women with the aim of preventing, detecting and treating health problems in both the fetus and mother. Late initiation of antenatal care attendance confines early detection and treatment of complications. The aim of this study was to determine the proportion of late initiation of antenatal care visit and associated factors among pregnant women. Methods: Facility based cross sectional study was conducted from April 01 to May 30, 2021 on 612 participants.The study participants were selected by systematic random sampling technique. Data was coded, entered and cleaned in Epi-data version 3.1 and exported to Statistical package for social sciences version 23 software for analysis. Bivariate and multivariate analysis was done. Variables with P<0.25 in the bivariate analysis were included in to multivariate logistic regression model and statistical significance was declared at P< 0.05. Results: In this study proportion of late initiation of antenatal care visit was 42.3 % [95% CI: 38.6 %,46.4 %].Respondents educational status of secondary school [AOR= 12.10, 95% CI: 2.50, 21.32], husbands' educational status of secondary school [AOR=4.27, 95% CI: 1.20, 13.78], current health problem [AOR= 2.65, 95% CI: 1.40, 10.04] and awareness about danger signs of pregnancy [AOR=10.1; 95% CI: 5.6, 18.20] were significant factors. Conclusion: In this study late initiation of antenatal care visit was most important public health issue. Women and their husbands’ educational status, awareness on danger signs of pregnancy and health problem in current pregnancy were significant factors. Responsible bodies should create awareness of danger sign of pregnancy and improve women education by strengthening adult education in the community.

Anemia is a largely preventable and curable medical disease if detected intime. This study aimed to assess maternal knowledge of anemia and its prevention strategies in the public health facilities of Pawi district, Northwest, Ethiopia. A health facility-based cross-sectional study was conducted from February 1/2020 to March 2/2020, among 410 antenatal care attendees in the public health facilities of the Pawi district. The data was collected by systematic random sampling technique and analyzed using SPSS 25.0 version. Logistic regression analyses were done to estimate the crude and adjusted odds ratio with a CI of 95% and a P-value of less than .05 considered statistically significant. Less than half, 184 (44.9%) [95% CI = 40.0-49.8] and almost half, 216 (52.7%) [95% CI = 47.8-57.5] of the pregnant women had good knowledge of anemia and good adherence to its prevention strategies respectively. Women who are found in the age group of 15 to 19, 20 to 24, and 25 to 29 years, rural residency, secondary, and above educational level, vaginal bleeding, third trimester of pregnancy, and medium and high minimum dietary diversification score were significantly associated with knowledge of anemia. On the other hand: women who are found in the age group of 15 to 19 years, secondary above educational level, primigravida women, having ≤2 and 3 to 4 family sizes, second and third trimester of pregnancy, high minimum dietary diversification score, and good knowledge of anemia were significantly associated with adherence to anemia prevention strategies. Maternal knowledge of anemia and adherence to its prevention strategies were low. Nutritional counseling on the consumption of iron-rich foods and awareness creation on the effects of anemia in pregnant women must be strengthened to increase the knowledge of anemia and adherence to its prevention strategies.