Factors Associated with Number of Prenatal Visits in Northeastern Brazil: A Cross-Sectional Study

Gracimary A. Teixeira, Norrara S. O. Holanda, Ingrid G. Azevedo, Julia R. Moura, Jovanka B. L. de Carvalho and Silvana A. Pereira ()
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Gracimary A. Teixeira: Health Technical School, Federal University of Paraiba, João Pessoa 58051-900, PB, Brazil
Norrara S. O. Holanda: Health Sciences’ Faculty of Trairi, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte (FACISA—UFRN), Santa Cruz 59200-000, RN, Brazil
Ingrid G. Azevedo: Department of Therapeutic Processes, Universidad Católica de Temuco, Temuco 4813302, La Araucania, Chile
Julia R. Moura: Department of Physical Therapy, Graduate Program of Physical Therapy, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN), Natal 59090-000, RN, Brazil
Jovanka B. L. de Carvalho: Graduate Program in Health and Society and Graduate Program in Nursing, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN), Natal 59078-970, RN, Brazil
Silvana A. Pereira: Department of Physical Therapy, Graduate Program of Physical Therapy, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN), Natal 59090-000, RN, Brazil

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 22, 1-6

Abstract: The aim of this study is to assess factors associated with the number of prenatal visits of women who delivered in a public maternity hospital in northeastern Brazil. This cross-sectional study focused on 380 puerperal women who gave birth at a public maternity hospital in northeastern Brazil. Prenatal and perinatal data were collected in the immediate postpartum period by interviewing mothers and using medical records. Chi-square/Fisher exact test compared the data, and a logistic regression model estimated the association between birth weight and number of prenatal visits. As a result, the sample was composed of 175 women with <37 weeks of gestational age and 205 women with ≥37 weeks of gestational age. Women with less than four prenatal visits were more likely to give birth to low birth weight (<2500 g) and preterm infants (<37 weeks of gestational age) than those with more than four prenatal visits ( p = 0.001). The subjects with less than four prenatal visits had a 2.76-fold higher odds of giving birth to infants weighing less than 2500 g ( p = 0.03; 95%CI = 1.05–7.30), without relation to maternal and gestational ages. In conclusion, women with less than four prenatal visits had higher odds of giving birth to low birth infants, independently of maternal and gestational ages, and were more likely to give birth to premature babies.

Keywords: birth weight; first trimester of pregnancy; prenatal care; preterm newborn (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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