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Extent of Utilization of Antenatal Care Services Among Childbearing Mothers in Anambra State of Nigeria

Chrysantus Chinyere Onwurah, Cajetan Ikechukwu Ilo, Ignatius Obilor Nwimo, Chinagorom Onwunaka

Purpose: The main purpose of the study was to determine the extent of utilization of ANC services among childbearing mothers in Anambra State Nigeria and to determine the difference in extent of utilization by age and level of education.

Method: 1250 childbearing mothers were used the study. A scaled 19-item Antenatal Care Services Utilization Questionnaire (ACSUQ) was used for data collection. Mean was used to answer the research questions with criterion mean of 2.5 and the hypotheses were tested using ANOVA.

Results: Childbearing mothers utilize ANC services to a high extent and this differed significantly by age and level of education of the mothers. The finding also indicate that HIV/AIDS and STIs services were the least utilized, that mothers age 25-34 had the least ANC service utilization and that people with no formal education utilized ANC services more than those with primary education.

Conclusion: These findings therefore, have implication for maternal health education considering the irreplaceable place of ANC services in the health of mothers and their children. Recommendations were made based on these findings which among others include call for intensification of behavior change communication program at all levels of health care to improve ANC services uptake.