Utilization of Preconception Care and Associated Factors Among Pregnant Women Attending Ante Natal Care Service in Public Hospitals of Addis Ababa
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Date
2025
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
Background: Preconception care is a set of biomedical, behavioral, and social health interventions provided before conception to improve maternal and child health outcomes. It helps in improving maternal and neonatal outcomes by addressing biomedical, behavioral, and social risk factors before pregnancy begins. However, the utilization of preconception care remains suboptimal particularly in developing countries like Ethiopia. Objective: This study aimed to assess the utilization of preconception care and associated factors among pregnant women’s attending ANC in public health hospitals in Addis Ababa. Methods and material: A facility-based cross-sectional study was conducted at Alert compressive specialized hospital and Zewditu memorial hospital, which both are found in Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia from April 1-Septemper 30, 2025. All pregnant women residing in Addis Ababa town who attend ANC services in public hospitals were the source population. While each individual pregnant woman attending ANC at Alert compressive specialized hospital and Zewditu memorial were study population. Sample size calculated using a single population proportion formula with considering 40 % preconception care utilization, at 95% confidence level, marginal error of 5%, and 10% non-response rate. The final sample size was 406. A self-administered questionnaire used to gather data. The collected data were cleaned, entered and analyzed using SPSS. Descriptive statistics such as a frequency distribution and summary measures were calculated. Binary logistic regression analysis was employed and variables that showed statistical significance at (p-value < 0.25) were entered into multivariable logistic regression. Result: The study's participants were mostly between the ages of 25 and 34 year (53%), followed by those under 24 year (31%), and those over 35 (16%). Majority of 286(73%) the participant have heard about PCC, but only 83(21%) of them have favorable knowledge about it. Also, only 26% of the participant received PCC service. In addition, age group 25-34 and above 35 [AOR=.18 (95%CI; .10-.33], [AOR=.27 (95%CI; .12- .62], lack of awareness about the PCC service [AOR=.16 (95%CI; .09-.28], being multiparous women [AOR= 3.22 (95%CI; 1.55-6.67) were significantly associated with utilization of preconception care. Conclusion: According to this study majority of pregnant women participated do not receive any of preconception care. This low utilization rate is associated with being in age group 25-34 and above 35, lack of awareness about the PCC service, and being multiparous women.
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Keywords
Preconception care, Pregnant women, Utilization