TITLE:
Factors Related to the Delay and Inadequacy of Prenatal Consultations at the University Hospital of Bouaké
AUTHORS:
Dagbéssè Elysée Boko Dagoun, Lydie Estelle Djanhan, Yaya Samaké, Menin-Messou Benie Michele, Clausen Georgie M’Bro, Narcisse Kouadio Kouadio
KEYWORDS:
ANC, Related Factors, Delay, Insufficiency
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology,
Vol.15 No.12,
December
12,
2025
ABSTRACT: Introduction: Late and insufficient antenatal consultations (ANCs) are risk factors for complications related to pregnancy and childbirth. Objectives: To identify the factors related to the delay and inadequacy of prenatal care among women who have given birth at the Bouaké University Hospital. Methodology: This was a prospective, comparative case-control study with a descriptive and analytical purpose carried out in the Gynecology-Obstetrics Department of the Bouaké University Hospital, conducted from January 15, 2023 to March 15, 2023 (02 months). It involved 609 women who had given birth, including 203 cases who had less than 4 antenatal consultations and 406 controls who had correctly used prenatal care. The data was captured and analyzed by Epi-Info7, Microsoft Office Word and Excel 2016. Results: The prevalence of delay and insufficiency in ANC was 85.78%. Several factors were associated with it, including age between 20 and 24 years (OR = 0.67) and over 40 years (OR = 0.66), non-schooling (OR = 145.40), non-employment (OR = 0.77), common-law union (OR = 5.10), residence in the village (OR = 5.10), primigestity (OR = 5.48), primiparity (OR = 7.94), first consultation late in the 2nd trimester (OR = 16), financial difficulties (OR = 27.68), means of public transport (OR = 1.52), lack of knowledge of the ANC (OR = 0.52). The financial problem in 43.84% of cases was the main reason for the delay and insufficiency of ANCs. Conclusion: The study reveals that low levels of education, rural residence, primiparity and cohabitation are major risk factors for inadequate antenatal care. Women experiencing financial difficulties were more likely to have insufficient antenatal care.