Determinants of antenatal care services utilization in Nepal

Abstract

This study aims to identify the determinants of antenatal care (ANC) service utilization in Nepal using data from 2006 Nepal Demographic and Health Survey. Analysis has been carried out by selecting 2785 currently married women aged 15-49 years who were usual residence and gave birth in the last three years preceding the survey. The socio-demographic factors, women empowerment factors, and service attribute factors have been identified as the plausible determinants of ANC in this study. Analysis has been done in three stages. First, descriptive analysis has been done calculating percentage of all independent variables and dependent variable, ANC. Second, association between dependent and independent variables have been observed using Chi-square test. Finally, logistic regression analysis has been employed to predict extent of association. The analysis of logistic regression reveals that socio demographic factors such as place of residence, religion, caste, education and occupation of husband, wealth rank of family ; women empowerment factors like education of women, decision making regarding household purchases, exposure to medias; and finally service attributes factors like cost ,distance and no faith in service are significantly influencing ANC service utilization. The study suggests policy makers and concerned stakeholders to give attention towards women education first and foremost followed by opportunities creation for raising the economic status of family by involving women and finally giving efforts towards provision of quality maternal services which are affordable, accessible and acceptable to women.