Antenatal Care Services Utilization and Factors Influencing it Among Pregnant Women in a Teaching Hospital, Lagos, Nigeria

Antenatal care (ANC) is the care provided by skilled health-care professionals to pregnant women and adolescent girls in order to ensure the best health conditions for both mother and foetus during pregnancy. ANC services help pregnant women and care providers to identify early, complications associated with pregnancy. This study assessed level of utilization of ANC services and also identified factors influencing its utilization among Pregnant Women at Lagos University Teaching Hospital in Lagos, Nigeria. A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among 182 pregnant women attending antenatal clinic at Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) in Lagos, Nigeria. Data was collected using a structured self-administered questionnaire and analysed descriptively and inferentially using Statistical Package of Social Science SPSS version 20.  Results showed that majority of the respondents (81.4%) had good level of utilization of ANC services. Availability of facilities (81.4%), affordability of ANC services (75.4%), waiting time (70.1%), attitude of the healthcare providers (59.9%), Schedule of ANC clinic (58.7%) and accessibility of ANC services (59.3%) were the factors influencing utilization of ANC services by the pregnant women. There was no statistically significant association between respondents’ level of utilization of antenatal services and their socio-demographic characteristics (Age: x2 = 10.719, P =0.153, educational qualification:  x2 = 0.735, P =0.692 and Income monthly: x2 = 5.868, P =0.118. The study concluded that there was high level of utilization of ANC services among the women. Affordability and accessibility of ANC services were the major factors influencing utilization of ANC services among pregnant women. Therefore, the management should look into the cost of the services rendered and make the ANC services affordable and accessible. Keywords: Utilization, Antenatal Care Services, Influencing Factors, Pregnant women. &nbsp