FACTORS INFLUENCING THE USE OF PRENATAL CARE SERVICES BY WOMEN LIVING IN URBAN SLUMS IN CENTRAL INDIA

Abstract

Background: A healthy pregnancy is mostly dependent on prenatal care. All mothers ought to receive the necessary treatment to ensure a safe pregnancy. Based on the numerous survey data, it is still not fully utilized by everyone. The situation in impoverished communities is still worse.

Objective: to evaluate the use of prenatal care services by moms living in Central Indian urban slums.

Materials and Methods: After obtaining their verbal assent, a community-based cross-sectional study was conducted for a year in the urban slums of Central India utilizing a pre-structured and pre-tested questionnaire. Slum locations on the notified slum list were chosen using a 30-cluster sampling procedure. 976 moms in all who were interviewed using the questionnaire within three months of giving birth.

Results: The majority of the women in our study were young (18–23 years old), illiterate (42%) and from poor socioeconomic backgrounds. Just 42% of the women overall had suggested four ANC visits. The three main variables influencing ANC utilization were place of service, socioeconomic level, and education. In summary, sustained and concentrated efforts are required to maintain the high coverage and utilization of prenatal services.

Key Words: Antenatal care, antenatal visits, urban slums..