Determinants of Focused Antenatal Care Services Utilization Among Pregnant Women Seeking Services at Lunga Lunga Health Centre, Nairobi County, Kenya

Abstract

Background: Focused Antenatal care (FANC) is important in standardizing maternal health. The assessment of FANC utilization involves assessing the sufficiency of the number of visits and the maternal healthcare services that expectant women receive.

Objective: This study examined the predictors of FANC services use among expectant women seeking services at Lunga Lunga Health Centre, Nairobi County, Kenya. The factors included socio-economic, socio-demographic and health system.

Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional analytical study design was used. The study sample size was 272 expectant women in Lunga Lunga Health Centre. Data was collected through questionnaires by use of Google Forms and data collection sheet. Quantitative data was analysed with the help of SPSSv 25.

Results: Only 9.9% of the 272 pregnant women had adequately utilised FANC services. Binary logistic regression showed that pregnant women who had no spouses (p<.05, AOR = .27, CI = 0.12 - 0.60), had multiple parities (p<.05, AOR =.163, CI=0 .07 - 0.37), were Muslim (p<.05, AOR =.11 and CI = 0.01 - 0.87), not listening to radio nor watching TV (p<.05, AOR = .23, CI = 0.13 0.42; p<.05, AOR= .23, CI = 0.12 - 0.44), were employed (p< .05, AOR= .37, CI = 0.18 - 0.78), took 30 or more minutes to get to the health facility and receive FANC services (p<.05, AOR = 0.327, CI = .094 - .937; p<.05, AOR=.17, CI= 0.111-0.281) respectively were less probable to receive the recommended FANC visits.

Conclusion and Recommendation: The low level of FANC utilization among pregnant women at Lunga Lunga health facility was attributed to factors such as socio-demographic (marital status, parity), socio-economic (media access and employment) and health system (Distance and quality of services). Nairobi County health department to employ an adequate number of staff. The Ministry of Health to onboard FANC services into Universal Health.