Predictors of Optimal Antenatal Care Service Utilization Among Adolescents and Adult Women in Bangladesh

Introduction: Utilization of recommended antenatal care (ANC) throughout the pregnancy period is a proven healthy behavior in reducing maternal mortalities and morbidities. The objective of this study is to identify the demand side factors that are associated with the recommended utilization of ANC services among adolescents and adult women in Bangladesh. Method: This study utilized cross-sectional data from latest Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey 2014. Data of a total of 4626 adolescents and adult women were analyzed. Bivariate and multivariate analyses were performed for identifying the significant determining factors associated with the ANC services utilization. Results: Approximately, 32% adult and 30% adolescent women utilized the recommended ANC care. The higher educated adolescents and adult women were 8.08 times ( P < .001) and 2.98 times ( P < .001) more likely to receive 4 or more ANC, respectively, compared to uneducated women. The richest quintile showed higher tendency to utilize optimum ANC services and had 2.70 times ( P < .05) and 6.51 times ( P < .001) more likelihood to receive optimal ANC services for adolescent and adult groups, respectively, compared to poorest quintile. Conclusion: Other than education and income, several other factors including mass -media, place of residence, working status, and geographical variations were significantly associated with recommended ANC. These findings might help health-care programmers and policy makers for initiating appropriate policy and programs for ensuring optimal ANC coverage for all. Ensuring adequate ANC regardless of economic status and residence of pregnant women could guarantee universal maternal health-care coverage as devoted to a national strategic guideline.