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Exploring the Impact of Preconception Care and Unintended Pregnancy on Access to Antenatal Care Services Among Rohingya Women: Insights from a Cross-Sectional Survey
34 Pages Posted: 6 Jun 2023
More...Abstract
BackgroundThe lower utilization of antenatal care among Rohingya refugees contributes to increased maternal and child mortality rates. This study aimed to assess the prevalence of antenatal care, preconception care, unintended pregnancy, and the impact of preconception care and unintended pregnancy on antenatal care utilization among Rohingya refugee women in Bangladesh.MethodsWe analyzed data from 708 women collected through a multistage cross-sectional survey conducted in April 2023. The outcome variable was the uptake of antenatal care services, while the exposure variables were preconception care uptake and unintended pregnancy. We used a multivariate logistic regression model to determine the effects of preconception care and unintended pregnancy on antenatal care utilization, adjusting for potential covariates.ResultsApproximately 47% of women reported not accessing any antenatal care during their most recent pregnancy. Moreover, around 68% of women did not receive any preconception care, and nearly one-third of pregnancies were unintended at conception. We observed lower likelihoods of antenatal care utilization among women without preconception care or with unintended pregnancy. The negative effects were even more pronounced when women reported no use of preconception care along with experiencing mistimed (aOR, 0.61, 95% CI: 0.45-0.77) and unwanted (aOR, 0.43, 95% CI: 0.34-0.52) pregnancy for their most recent pregnancy.ConclusionMaternal healthcare service utilization is alarmingly low among Rohingya refugees, with a significant lack of preconception care and a high prevalence of unintended pregnancies. These findings underscore the critical importance of implementing awareness-building programs and increasing investment in healthcare infrastructure.
Keywords: Antenatal care uptake, preconception care, unintended pregnancy, Rohingya refugee, Bangladesh
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