Abstract:
Background: Late initiation of ANC is a visiting of pregnant women to health facility after 16
weeks of gestational age for first time according to Ethiopian ministry of health context. It is
related with poor outcomes of pregnancy as many studies revealed.
Objective: To determine the magnitude of late initiation of antenatal care and associated factors
among antenatal care attendees in Aleta Chuko district, Sidama Zone, SNNP, 2017.
Method: A facility based cross-sectional study employed to collect data from pregnant women
using face-to-face interview. Study population was pregnant women in selected health facility
and sample size was 484. Six health centers and one primary hospital included. Descriptive
statistics, Bivariate and multivariate binary logistic regression analysis employed for data
analysis and tables, figures and bar graphs used to present data.
Result: Sixty-five and seven percent pregnant women initiated their first ANC late. Pregnant
women who had no formal education were 10.8 times late to initiate first ANC from secondary
and above educational level, housewives were 3 times late to initiate first ANC than government
employee, merchant and private business, pregnant women with gravidity two and above were 5
times late to initiate first ANC from gravidity one, those who had no history of abortion 3 times
late to initiate first ANC from having abortion history and those who had low knowledge were
17 times late to initiate first ANC from high knowledge on ANC service.
Conclusion and Recommendation: The magnitude of late initiation of ANC was found high
and the possible factors for this were no formal education, being housewife, gravidity two and
above , no history of abortion and low knowledge on ANC service. Aleta Chuko health bureau
should mobilize health care provider and community to improve this problem, addressing the
identified factors by community mobilization and promoting the importance of early starting for
ANC are necessary.
