Adequate Antenatal Care Visits among Tribal Women in Bangladesh

Abstract

Maternal mortality is a global concern, and peaks in developing countries. Adequate antenatal care services (ANCs) are indispensable for the survival of both the mother and the fetus. A global phenomenon leads us to the idea that aboriginal communities are socially more disadvantaged than non-tribal communities worldwide. Hence, the scholarship determines the association of socioeconomic standing and adequate use of ANC facilities by Bangladeshi tribal women. This study is a quantitative study using a convenient sampling method. Semistructured questionnaires were used to obtain data on married women (n=556) between the ages of 15-49 who had children aged one year or under. The data were analyzed using the SPSS (version 20) S/W. Associations were developed using Chi-square testing and regression analysis was used in this research. Significance was determined at p-value <0.10. Results show that only 29.9% of pregnant tribal women sought ANC services, of which 13.5% visited a hospital for ANC services four times or more during pregnancy. A significant association between religion, age at first marriage, and family planning with adequate ANC services was observed. This study concludes that women's education, occupation, state of economy, residence location, and distance from healthcare facilities all positively influence the adequate use of ANC services. Thus, upgrading socioeconomic status, decentralization of health facilities, strengthening family planning program and ensuring educational opportunities for women are recommended for adequate consumption of ANC services.