This study aimed to ascertain the utilization of antenatal care services in terms of ANC visits with health personnel, receiving a recommended period of iron tablets, consumption of antihelminthic, and Tetanus Toxoid (TT) vaccines taken among childbearing women in the Dalit community.
Researchers used a descriptive cross-sectional research design to study 150 child-bearing women of reproductive age having at least one child up to three years of age in a Dalit community of Gorkha from March 2015 to March 2016.
The study revealed that the mean age at marriage of respondents was 17.7 years, and the mean age at first pregnancy was 18 years. 44.6% of respondents experienced a complication during the last pregnancy, labor, and postpartum period in their previous pregnancy. 59.3% of respondents stated that neighbors, relatives, and traditional healers were the best contact people during women’s health problems.
Even though there is a reasonably good utilization rate of antenatal service, the study revealed that low education and awareness among mothers, low socioeconomic condition, early marriage and pregnancy, inappropriate antenatal health check-up, and cultural taboos were significant factors affecting the excellent utilization of services among the Dalit community.
Reference: https://www.hindawi.com/journals/jp/2018/3467308/
