PREVALENCE AND FACTORS AFFECTING THE UTILIZATION OF ANTENATAL CARE IN SANA’A CITY, YEMEN
Authors: Alqadi Samar Abdulhafed , Mutahar Dua’a Jamal Ahmed , Al-Moyed Khaled Abdul-Karim A , Assabri Ali Mohammed , Al-Shamahy Hassan Abdulwahab , Al-Ankoshy Azhar Azher Mohammed , Al-Hadad Ahmed Mohamed 
Published: September 2022

Background and objective: Antenatal care (ANC) is a health care intervention designed to ensure the safety of pregnancy for the mother and fetus. This system recommends a minimum of four preconception care visits for a healthy pregnancy, according to the World Health Organization. It is not known whether this recommended number of visits was followed or not in urban or rural areas of Yemen. Therefore, the study aimed to investigate the prevalence and factors associated with the ANC utilization by pregnant women in Sana'a city, Yemen.
Methods: This study is an Institutional based cross-sectional descriptive study of married pregnant women practices toward ANC services. The sample size was calculated by Epi-Info to be 452 participants; multistage sampling was adopted. Data were collected from direct interviews using a structured questionnaire with closed-ended questions filled in by the investigators.  A local language questionnaire was used. The questionnaire consists of several parts (Demographic characteristics, obstetric history, and practices and utilization of ANC) at 10- Health centers of Sana’a city, Republic of Yemen. Epi-Info was used for data analysis, χ2 was calculated and p value < 0.05 was considered as a cut off for significance of deference.   
Results: The response rate was 99.1%.  Only 214 (47.3%) of the respondents have adequate utilization of ANC. Adequate ANC utilization was high in educated mother, educated husband, with high moderate income, and mothers with children >5. According to obstetric factors, adequate ANC utilization was high in mothers whose age at first pregnancy was more than 20 years, primigravida and primipara.
Conclusion: The results of the study draw attention to the need to levitate the number of ANC visits, and the significance of using an suitable model to ascertain the important socio-demographic factors that ANC service providers shall focus on to improve the health of the unborn baby and the mother during pregnancy.
                       
Peer Review History:
Received: 4 July 2022; Revised: 12 August; Accepted: 7 September, Available online: 15 September 2022
Academic Editor: Ahmad Najib, Universitas Muslim Indonesia,  Indonesia, ahmad.najib@umi.ac.id
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Received file:                                Reviewer's Comments:
Average Peer review marks at initial stage: 6.0/10
Average Peer review marks at publication stage: 7.0/10
Reviewers:
Dr. Wadhah Hassan Ali Edrees, Hajja University, Yemen, edress2020@gmail.com
Dr. Bilge Ahsen KARA, Ankara Gazi Mustafa Kemal Hospital, Turkey, ahsndkyc@gmail.com
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