Determinants of urban-rural differentials in antenatal care utilization in Nigeria
Date
2014-01-20
Authors
Babalola, Blessing
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Abstract
Demographic and public health studies have indicated urban-rural differences in the utilization of
antenatal care services. However, factors accounting for the urban-rural differentials in Antenatal
Care use are unknown. The study used the 2008 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey
(NDHS) to examine the background factors associated with the urban-rural differences in
antenatal care utilization in Nigeria. Findings revealed a strong urban-rural differential in
antenatal care utilization. The logistic regression analysis revealed that age, region, women
education, religion, distance to health facility, partner’s education, employment status and wealth
status were the significant determinants of antenatal care use in the rural areas of Nigeria. For
urban women, age, region, women education, distance to health facility, partner’s education,
living children and wealth status were the significant determinants of antenatal care use. In the
total model, all the background variables except marital status were significantly associated with
antenatal care use. The determinants of urban-rural differentials of antenatal care utilization in
Nigeria are religion, occupation and number of living children, as religion and occupation were
significantly associated with ANC use in the rural area only, while the number of living children
was associated with ANC use in the urban areas only. Non-Catholic Christian and Muslim
women were 1.32 and 1.28 times respectively more likely to use antenatal care than their
Catholic counterparts. Employed rural women were 1.22 times more likely to use antenatal care
than unemployed rural women. Urban women who had 1-2 and 3-4 living children were 2.97 and
2.76 times respectively more likely to use ANC compared to urban women without any living
children. However, programmes and policies targeted at improving ANC use in the rural areas of
Nigeria should involve religious institutions and promote women employment in the rural areas
of Nigeria
Description
Thesis (M.A.)--University of the Witwatersrand, Faculty of Humanities, Demography and Population Studies, 2013