Variations in Antenatal Care Initiation Patterns among Reproductive Age Women in Sub-Saharan-Africa: Event History Analysis Methods Approach

Justin Dansou, Université de Parakou
Fidelia A. A. Dake, University of Ghana
Lorretta Favour C. Ntoimo, Federal University Oye-Ekiti

Despite global commitment and mounting investment in improving maternal and neonatal survival, inequities in antenatal care (ANC) attendance persist especially in sub-Saharan Africa. Though factors associated with ANC are well documented, there is little evidence on variations at the global level in sub-Saharan Africa. Using data from the most recent demographic and health (2006-2018) from thirty-six countries, the current study examined variations in the ANC initiation among 262,207 reproductive age women in sub-Saharan Africa. Descriptive analyses showed that during their last pregnancies, 10.8% of SSA females did not receive any ANC services and only 33.8% initiated ANC checkup within the first trimester of pregnancy. Multivariate modelling based on discrete-time logit models showed significant variations in ANC initiation patterns according to all the study covariates. Controlling for other factors, the chances of ANC initiation were higher in urban areas, among French-speaking countries, and among educated, primiparous and wealthier women.