KNOWLEDGE AND PERCEPTION OF PREGNANT WOMEN ON ANTENATAL CARE AND ITS IMPORTANCE USING THE KORLE BU TEACHING HOSPITAL AS A CASE STUDY

Abstract

Poor attendance to antenatal care clinic among mothers has extensively been discussed in the literature. A considerable amount of studies have explored factors that have accounted for this negative attitude. Attempt to increase attendance has been identified to be possible if mothers’ knowledge and perception to antenatal care services is increased. However, modern literature has also not paid much attention in evaluating mothers’ knowledge and perception to antenatal care services. This knowledge gap required that the current study evaluated knowledge and perception of Ghanaian pregnant women on antenatal care and its importance. A descriptive design was adopted. Using the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital as a case study, fifty (50) pregnant women were sampled from the antenatal clinic of the selected facility. The convenience sampling technique was used. A self-developed questionnaire instrument was used to collect data which was analyzed quantitatively. Pregnant women sampled for the study appeared to have had very good knowledge (80.0%) on ANC services and its essence to total healthcare. They were aware of pregnancy related complications, efficacy of ANC in correcting neonatal deformities, essence of fetal movement, need for better nutrition and physical exercise as well as frequent visit to ANC clinics. Women exhibited positive attitude to ANC services as they considered it less costly, not boring, not time consuming and crucial for their health. The attendance rate was 56.0%. Women were regular attenders to ANC clinics, were not smokers or alcoholics and engaged in physical exercises to improve their health. Managers of ANC clinics were admonished to strategize to increase attendance to ANC clinics. Education on breastfeeding was to be intensified among pregnant women.