FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH TIME TO START ANTENATAL CARE WITHIN 12 WEEKS IN MAHASARAKHAM PROVINCE, THAILAND

Abstract

Time to startantenatal care (ANC)within 12 weeks was important. This study aimed to determines the factors affected  time to start antenatal care within 12 weeks among postpartum women in Mahasarakham province. A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted among 537 postpartum women delivered in all hospitals of Mahasarakham Province, Thailand. The structured questionnaires   were used for this survey.Data were collected during June 1 to December 15, 2014 by using stratified sampling with proportional to size method. All case of postpartum women who delivered in Mahasarakham province were included and minority ethnic postpartum womenand illiteracywere excluded in this study.

                   This study found that postpartum women took at least 1 time visit ANC within 12 weeks before delivered was 99.6%, 49.6% of them started visit ANC late after 12 weeks and 18.6% were teenage pregnancies. Awareness of right time to start ANC within 12 weeks was only 6.6%. After adjusted for confounding factors, this study found that teenage pregnancy (AOR =2.39, 95% CI=1.31-4.34, p-value<0.05) and universal coverage health insurance (AOR =1.66, 95% CI =1.11-2.49, p-value<0.05)were statistically significant predictors for time to start ANC within 12 weeks.

                   This study indicated that the quality ANC services among teenage pregnancy are one of the major concerns in this population. Hence, all stakeholders related for this problem should be approached and integrated. The first time to start ANC within 12 weeks among the youth pregnancy should be greater publicized and wider campaigned. In addition, health education among postpartum women and teenager should be wider implemented.