Utilization of Antenatal Services among Teenagers in Ghana

Abstract

Antenatal care services provide pregnant women with skilled health workers to help detect danger signs early before they become a problem during pregnancy. In Ghana, teenage pregnancies continue to be prevalent. The main aim of the study was to examine the proportion of teenagers who utilise antenatal services in Ghana, determine the socio-cultural factors related to the current pregnancy of adolescents and identify the factors influencing pregnant teenagers' use of antenatal services in Ghana. The study population was pregnant teenagers who participated in the Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) 2017/18 in Ghana. The sample comprised 354 teenagers between the ages of 13 and 19 years who are participants in the Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey in Ghana. Data was extracted from the Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey and subsequently analysed using STATA and Microsoft Excel. The analysis involved descriptive statistics such as mean, standard deviation, percentages, and frequencies, as well as chi-squared and logistic regression. The study found that (215) 78% of teenagers had four or more recommended antenatal care visits with a midwife. Furthermore, the study found that the socio-demographic factors related to adolescents' current pregnancies include age distribution, educational background, family structure and caretakers, economic background, marital status and desire for a last child. Additionally, the study revealed that age factors, education, living situation, economic status, marital status, desire for a last child ,and timing of Antenatal Care visits are the factors affecting Antenatal Care service utilisation among pregnant teenagers in Ghana. Therefore, the study recommended that healthcare providers, schools and community members should collaborate to organise seminars and workshops to inform teenagers about the essence of Antenatal Care services and answer any misunderstanding they might have.