Predictors of the Timing of First Antenatal Clinic Attendance among Women of Reproductive Age: Tanzania Demographic Health Survey and Malaria Indicators-2022

Abstract

Background Reducing maternal mortality and improving women's healthcare are crucial objectives of the third Sustainable Development Goal (SDG), which aims to lower the global maternal mortality ratio (MMR) to 70 per 100,000 live births by 2030. The study examined the predictors of Timing of the First ANC Visit among pregnant women. Methods This study used TDHS data, the study analyzed descriptive statistics to showcase the distribution of women who booked Antenatal Care (ANC) across different trimesters, followed by a log rank to identify variables to include in the multivariate model. Lastly, the multivariate Cox proportional hazard regression was used to examine factors associated with the timing of the first ANC visits. Results The study found that most (66%) of women had initiated their first ANC visits over 3 months while 34% initiated within the recommended 3 months. the timing of the first antenatal care (ANC) visit showed variations based on several factors. the results of the Multivariate Cox-Proportional Hazard Regression analysis model found that Women aged 35–49 took 43.7% longer to initiate ANC than younger women aged 15–24. women with primary (AHR: 1.27, 95% CI: 1.08–1.49, p < 0.003), secondary (AHR: 1.30, 95% CI: 1.07–1.58, p < 0.007), and higher (AHR: 1.80 95% CI: 1.16–2.080 p < 0.008) had shorter timings for their first ANC visits compared to those with no education. For women who did not perceive distance to the health facility as a significant issue, the timing of their first ANC visit was (AHR: 1.111, 95% CI: 0.98–1.25, p < 0.001) shorter than those who considered distance a big problem. Working women also had a shorter (AHR: 1.02, 95% CI: 0.988–1.23, p < 0.08) timing for their first ANC visit than non-working women. Women who listened to the radio at least once a week had a (AHR: 1.13, 95% CI: 0.99–1.28, p < 0.067) higher hazard ratio for the timing of the first ANC visit compared to those who did not listen at all. Similarly, women who watched television less than once a week had (AHR: 1.18, 95% CI: 1.01–1.38, p < 0.028) shorter timing for their first ANC visit than non-watchers. Conclusion These findings highlight the influence of age, education, perceived distance, employment status, and media habits on the timing of the first ANC visit. The study recommends that the government and stakeholders should continue to Promote Health Literacy by Educating women about the importance of ANC during pregnancy and Utilizing television and radio as powerful tools for disseminating information about ANC.