The moderating role of partners’ education on early antenatal care in northern Ghana

Abstract

Background Early antenatal care (ANC) is essential for improving maternal and child health outcomes. The primary aims of this study were to 1) estimate the association between partners’ education attainment and early ANC, and 2) determine whether partners’ level of education modified the relationship between mothers’ education, mothers’ age, planned pregnancy, employment status and early ANC. Methods Data were obtained from a cross-sectional study conducted from April to May 2021 among 519 mothers with a live birth in the past year in the Nabdam district in the Upper East Region in northern Ghana. Generalized estimating equations were used to assess whether partners’ level of education modified the relationship between mothers’ education, mothers’ age, planned pregnancy, employment status and early ANC. Effect modification was assessed on the additive and multiplicative scales using adjusted prevalence ratios (aPR) and corresponding 95% confidence intervals. Results Mothers whose partners had secondary or higher education had a 26% higher prevalence of early ANC compared to mothers whose partners had less than a secondary level of education (aPR: 1.26, 95% CI: 1.05,1.51). There was evidence of effect modification by partners’ education on the relationship between planned pregnancy and early ANC on both the additive (Relative excess risk due to interaction [RERI]: 0.61, 95% CI: 0.07,0.99), and multiplicative (ratio of PRs: 1.64, 95% CI: 1.01,2.70) scales. Among mothers whose partners had less than secondary education, mothers who had teenage pregnancy (i.e., aged 18–19 years old during pregnancy) were less likely to have early ANC compared to those who did not have teenage pregnancy (aPR: 0.71, 95% CI: 0.53,0.97). Among mothers whose partners had a secondary or higher education, early ANC was more prevalent among employed mothers compared to those who were unemployed (aPR: 1.27, 95% CI: 1.02,1.57). Conclusions Our findings suggest that whilst mothers whose partners had a secondary or higher education were more likely to initiate early ANC, supporting such women to plan their pregnancies can further increase the coverage of early ANC.

Multilevel and subnational analysis of the predictors of maternity continuum of care completion in Nigeria: a cross-sectional survey

“…Maternal education effect is understandably due to exposure and ability to listen, read and write as women with higher education are more likely to be able to comprehend and follow medical instructions and prescriptions than those with secondary education 39 , and those with secondary education perform better in maternal service utilization than those with primary education only and so on. Agreeing with recent findings from studies on the effect of female education and moderating role of partner education on maternal healthcare in SSA 55 , 56 . The effect of wealth is attributed to being able to bear expenses of maternity range of cares as commitment can be motivated by financial strength and it is not surprising that women who had the big problem of getting money for medical help are less likely to complete the maternity gamut of care.…”

Factor Analysis of Antenatal Care in Women of Fertilizing Age in Nepal

“…Research Apanga et al, (2022) stated that there is a relationship between education level and antenatal care visits, this is because secondary education or higher has a 26% higher prevalence of early antenatal care than less than secondary education. The higher the mother's education level, the more complete the antenatal care status will be, where pregnant women with higher education will have their pregnancy checked regularly.…”