Factors Influencing Late Initiation of Antenatal Visits Among Pregnant Women in the Dormaa Central Municipality in the Bono Region of Ghana

Skilled and qualified healthcare professionals provide antenatal care to expectant mothers. Antenatal care identifies, prevents, and manages pregnancy-related problems. This study evaluated the prevalence and factors related to late antenatal care in the Dormaa Central Municipality in the Bono Region of Ghana. This health facility-based cross-sectional study was conducted in the Municipality from March 2022 to July 2022. A total of 400 pregnant women were enlisted using a convenience sampling technique and made to answer a structured questionnaire developed for the study. Data were processed with SPSS version 26 to conduct descriptive and inferential statistics and identify the relationship between dependent and independent variables. The study found that the prevalence of late initiation of antenatal care was 42.5%. The education level of pregnant women influenced late antenatal care initiation. Pregnant women's gravidity and parity level were also associated with late antenatal care initiation. Pregnant women who were uninformed of the correct time and husbands' influence were also associated with late antenatal care initiation in the Municipality. The study concluded that most pregnant women who started antenatal care late did so because of their level of education, obstetric circumstances, unawareness, and husbands' influence, which have significant health consequences on the mother and unborn child. It is important that health policymakers and implementers in the country promote and expand health educational programmes for pregnant women to raise their antenatal care visit awareness. Husbands should be encouraged to help with early antenatal care initiation of their pregnant wives. In addition, a qualitative investigation should be carried out to fully understand the reasons that delay pregnant women's commencement of antenatal care in the Dormaa Central Municipality.