Timing and determinants of maiden antenatal care visit among pregnant women attending Kiryandongo General Hospital

Abstract

Timing of the maiden ANC visit is an important issue in reproductive health. Early booking has been proved to be beneficial as it is enables early diagnosis and monitoring of pregnancy and catches complications early. Maiden ANC visit in sub-Saharan Africa is generally late and many preventable and correctable complications of pregnancy may arise from this. Also, so many factors may be at play as to influence the timing of the maiden ANC visit, factors that have been minimally studied in many African countries, Uganda and Kiryandongo District. This study was on the timing and factors associated with the initial ANC visit among pregnant women at Kiryandongo General Hospital and it involved 305 women on their maiden ANC visit. The recommended first trimester attendance was found to be low as only 15% attended within the first trimester and the factors associated with timing included knowledge of the correct timing, age, gravidity, marital status, residence, education level and employment status