Factors associated with late antenatal care attendance

Includes bibliographical references.The prevalence of late attendance for antenatal care in South Africa remains high despite the reported benefits of early initiation of antenatal care. The study aimedat identifying factors associated with late initiation of antenatal care. Methods: Cross sectional survey data collected for a FAS prevention programme in rural and urban South Africa were used. The primary study made use of face-to-face interviews with female participants the age range of 18 to 44 years. The dependent variable, gestational age, was categorized into a binary variable across 4 months gestational age. Independent variables consisted of scales and categorical variables (mostly binary) within the following domains: (a) socio-demographic factors; (b) characteristics of index pregnancy including substance use information; (c) psychosocial factors; (d) community factors; and (e) partner characteristics