A Descriptive Assessment of Maternal and Socio-cultural Factors Related to Focused Antenatal Care in Ekiti State, Nigeria

Abstract

Aim: The aim of this study is to assess the maternal and social -cultural factors related to focused antenatal care using descriptive analysis. Study Design: This study employed cross sectional survey research design to elicit information on maternal and socio-cultural factors influencing the utilization of Focused Antenatal Care (FANC) in Ekiti State, Nigeria from 118 nurse midwives across three tertiary hospitals in Ekiti State. Place and Duration of Study: Health centers at Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital, Ado-Ekiti, Federal Teaching Hospital, Ido-Ekiti and Afe Babalola University Multisystem Hospital, Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti state, Nigeria. The data were collected between January and April 2022. Methodology: The methodological framework employed descriptive design, with data validated through content analysis and reliability tests using Cronbach Alpha. Data was gathered using a structured questionnaire. The study targeted all 118 nurse midwives in these hospitals, comprising 49 from Ekiti State Teaching Hospital, 60 from Federal Teaching Hospital Ido-Ekiti, and 9 from ABUAD Multi-System Hospital. Total enumeration sampling techniques were utilized due to the limited number of participants. For analytical purposes, descriptive statistics—such as mean, median, mode, frequency, percentage, minimum, maximum, and standard deviation—were employed to provide insights into the data. Results: The findings highlight significant maternal factors such as age, education level, employment status, pregnancy intention, and history of stillbirth, as well as socio-cultural influences including distance to clinics, religion, spousal education, and cultural traditions. The study underscores the interplay of these variables, noting that higher education levels, planned pregnancies, and spousal support greatly enhance FANC uptake. Conclusion: Maternal factors and social-economic factors are some of the determinants of focused antenatal care practices in Ekiti state, Nigeria. These findings call for multi-faceted approaches to promote FANC, such as community-based education, improved clinic accessibility, training for healthcare providers, and spousal inclusion strategies.