Pathways Utilized For Antenatal Health Seeking Among Women In The Ga East District, Ghana
Date
2015
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Ghana Medical Journal
Abstract
Background: Ghana’s maternal mortality ratio has
been declining over the last two decades but at a rather
slow pace. Poor access to effective maternity care is
identified as one of the key challenges of maternity
care. The current study mapped out the pathways to
pregnancy care seeking among urban-dwelling adult
women in a peri-urban district located in the Greater
Accra region of Ghana.
Methods: A total of 300 women who had a live birth
in the last 12 months participated in a community-based survey. They answered questions on care-seeking
behavior related to their last pregnancy. A multivariate
A logistic regression model was used to identify factors
associated with multiple care-seeking behavior.
Results: Almost all women in the survey (98%) reported accessing skilled antenatal care (ANC) from a bio-medical provider, although 35% began ANC later than
the first trimester. About 45% of women simultaneously utilized both ANC and alternative care providers
(ACP) including traditional birth attendants, herbalists,
and spiritualists. A complex pathway to antenatal care
seeking behavior involving shuttling between providers
was observed. Controlling for household wealth,
household size, and age, seeking care from multiple
providers concurrently were associated with residence
in Kwabenya sub-district OR=2.13 (95% CI: 1.28,
3.55) and previous abortion OR=2.08 (95% CI: 1.11,
3.91)
Conclusions: Urban-dwelling women in Ga East Dis trict seek antenatal care concurrently from multiple
sources. Health system interventions must seek ways to
integrate alternative care providers into the existing
biomedical health care system.
Description
Research Article
Keywords
multiple care seeking, pathway, alternative care, antenatal