Inequalities in the Utilization of Antenatal Care in Nigeria

Access to maternal health care is vital for pregnant women to ensure the safety and health of their baby. This study estimated the effects of barriers on access to health care and the utilization of maternal health care in... [ view full abstract ]

Access to maternal health care is vital for pregnant women to ensure the safety and health of their baby. This study estimated the effects of barriers on access to health care and the utilization of maternal health care in Nigeria. With data collected from the 2013 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey, a logistic regression model was constructed on the basis of the Health Care Access Barrier Model, which identified geographic accessibility as a structural barrier impedes access to maternal health care. Models were used to assess the relationship between inadequate antenatal care and barriers to health care access and other demographic factors. Additional results show that women living in the northwestern region of Nigeria have higher odds of receiving inadequate antennal care. Low utilization of maternal health services is still an issue despite the creation of the Midwife Service Scheme, which is aimed at increasing the number of midwives in rural areas within Nigeria in hopes of reducing the number of maternal deaths. Affordability and accessibility are two of the biggest barriers women in Nigeria face that decreased utilization of antenatal care. Programs aimed an increasing maternal health utilization should be targeted at less educated women married women living in rural areas

Keywords: demography, Nigeria, antenatal care, barriers to health care utilization, health disparity