Antenatal Care Utilization and Delivery Location: Evidence from Postpartum Women in Enugu, South East Nigeria
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.21106/IJMA_381_2026Keywords:
- Antenatal Care Services (ANC),
- Place of delivery,
- Skilled Birth Attendants,
- Traditional Birth Attendants (TBA),
- Choice of Place Delivery,
- Women
Abstract
Background and Objective: Maternal mortality is high in sub-Saharan African countries. This death can be prevented by increasing the percentage of deliveries attended by skilled birth attendants (SBA). In Nigeria, most women still deliver with traditional birth attendants (TBA), leading to complications and death. This study examined factors associated with antenatal care (ANC) and delivery location among recently delivered women attending an immunization clinic in Enugu, Nigeria.
Methods: This was a cross-sectional survey involving 501 participants. A pretested questionnaire was used to collect data through purposive sampling. Independent variables included the socio-demographic characteristics. The dependent variable was the choice of delivery location. Demographic characteristics and descriptive statistics were reported as percentages and frequencies. Associations between the variables were analyzed using chi-square testing. A two-sided p value below 0.05 was considered statistically significant.
Results: Most participants attended ANC (92.8%) and delivered (90.6%) in a healthcare facility with SBA. The most common person influencing the choice of delivery location was “self” (54.8%). The most considered factor in choosing a place of delivery was the competence of the doctor/midwife (85.9%). Significant associations were found between choice of place of delivery and age (ꭓ2 = 11.403; p = 0.010), educational status (ꭓ2 = 61.012; p = 0.001), occupation (ꭓ2 = 14.931; p = 0.002), and monthly income (ꭓ2 = 44.440; p < 0.001).
Conclusion and Global Health Implications: Most women received ANC and gave birth in a healthcare facility, though a few used home, spiritual houses, and TBAs. The choice of care location is associated with personal, socio-demographic, economic, and hospital-related factors. The findings suggest that perceived staff competence and service availability may influence women’s decisions about where to seek maternity care.
Downloads
Similar Articles
- Sara A. Holtz, Rudi Thetard, Sarah N. Konopka, Jennifer Albertini, Anouk Amzel, Karen P. Fogg, A Systematic Review of Interventions to Reduce Maternal Mortality among HIV-Infected Pregnant and Postpartum Women , Vol. 4 No. 2 (2015): International Journal of Maternal and Child Health and AIDS
- Veronicah A. Wechuli, Monicah W. Karara, Allan T. Wafula, Godfrey W. Mayoka, Impact of COVID-19 on the Utilization of Maternal and Child Health Services at a Regional Referral Hospital in Kenya , Vol. 13 No. Continuous (2024): International Journal of Maternal and Child Health and AIDS
- Sanni Yaya, Gebretsadik Shibre, Dina Idriss-Wheeler, Olalekan A Uthman, Women’s Empowerment and HIV Testing Uptake: A Meta-analysis of Demographic and Health Surveys from 33 Sub-Saharan African Countries , Vol. 9 No. 3 (2020): International Journal of Maternal and Child Health and AIDS
- Fekadu Mazengia Alemu, Alemayehu Worku Yalew, Mesganaw Fantahun, Eta Ebasi Ashu, Antiretroviral Therapy and Pregnancy Outcomes in Developing Countries: A Systematic Review , Vol. 3 No. 1 (2015): International Journal of Maternal and Child Health and AIDS
- Stella Yu, Sue Lin, Bonnie Strickland, Disparities in Health Care Quality Indicators among US Children with Special Health Care Needs According to Household Language Use , Vol. 4 No. 1 (2015): International Journal of Maternal and Child Health and AIDS
- Jayati Kusari Basu, Lawrence Chauke, Cert Maternal Fetal Medicine, Terrance Magoro, Clinical Features and Outcomes of COVID-19 Infection among Pregnant Women in South Africa , Vol. 10 No. 2 (2021): International Journal of Maternal and Child Health and AIDS
- Danladi Abubakar, Yetunde B. Aremu-Kasumu, Musa Yakubu, Olaniyi T. Fasanu, Sophia O. Baidoo-Adeiza, Birth Preparedness and Complication Readiness among Antenatal Attendees in a Tertiary Hospital in Northern Nigeria , Vol. 13 No. Continuous (2024): International Journal of Maternal and Child Health and AIDS
- Hasiya Tijjani Ismail, Taiwo G Amole, Fatima I Tsiga-Ahmed, Rabiu I Jalo, Aishatu L Adamu, Mahmoud U Sani, Hamisu M Salihu, William Wester, Muktar H Aliyu, Factors Associated with Utilization of Sexual and Reproductive Health Services among Married Adolescent Girls in Kano, Northern Nigeria , Vol. 13 No. Continuous (2024): International Journal of Maternal and Child Health and AIDS
- Karen M. Hampanda, Lisa L. Abuogi, Yusuf Ahmed, HIV-Positive Women Taking Lifelong Antiretroviral Therapy Report Better Adherence Than Women Taking Short-Course Prophylaxis During and After Pregnancy Under PMTCT Program Option A in Lusaka, Zambia , Vol. 6 No. 1 (2017): International Journal of Maternal and Child Health and AIDS
- Deepa Dongarwar, Toi B. Harris, Hamisu M. Salihu, Fourth Annual Summer Research Summit on Health Equity Organized by the Center of Excellence in Health Equity, Training and Research, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030, USA on May 20, 2021 , Vol. 10 No. S3 (2021): International Journal of Maternal and Child Health and AIDS
<< < 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 > >>
You may also start an advanced similarity search for this article.
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright © 2026 Innocent Anayochukwu Ugwu, Calistus Obiora Nevo, Malachy Nwaeze Ezenwaeze. Published by Global Health and Education Projects, Inc., USA.
This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License , which permits others to remix, transform, and build upon the work non-commercially, provided the original author is credited and the new creations are licensed under the same terms.