Barriers to Early Antenatal and Postnatal Care Utilization Among Women in Dodoma Region, Tanzania: A Qualitative Cross-Sectional Study

Agatha Fabian ()
Additional contact information
Agatha Fabian: University of Dodoma

A chapter in African Peacebuilding, 2026, pp 375-396 from Springer

Abstract: Abstract Antenatal care (ANC) is routine care for pregnant women provided between conception and the onset of labor. ANC aims to monitor pregnant women regularly to identify and control the risk factors early. The postnatal period (PNC) covers the period of the first six weeks after birth and it is a critical period for the health and survival of a mother and her newborn. The objective of this study was to assess perceived barriers to ANC and PNC services utilization among women of reproductive age in the Dodoma Region. The study employed a cross-sectional design using qualitative methods. An interviewer’s guide and checklist were used for data collection. Content analysis was used to analyze the data. The study shows that low male participation in maternity issues, long distance to the health facility, decision-making power in the family, traditional beliefs and practices in the community, and perceived quality of health services in the health facilities were among the barriers to ANC and PNC service utilization. It is suggested that there is a need for healthcare providers to enhance health education for women and their spouses about the importance of early attendance for ANC and PNC service utilization.

Keywords: ANC; PNC; Maternal healthcare; Healthcare utilization; Tanzania (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations:

There are no downloads for this item, see the EconPapers FAQ for hints about obtaining it.

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:spr:aaechp:978-3-032-29966-6_25

Ordering information: This item can be ordered from
http://www.springer.com/9783032299666

DOI: 10.1007/978-3-032-29966-6_25

Access Statistics for this chapter

More chapters in Advances in African Economic, Social and Political Development from Springer
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Sonal Shukla () and Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing ().