Factors Influencing Late Antenatal Care Attendance among Women of Reproductive Age in South Africa.

Stemary Tiisetso Letloenyane, North-West University
Mluleki Tsawe, North-West University

Background: Late antenatal care (ANC) attendance is a population health concern. This study aimed to examine the factors associated with late ANC attendance among women of reproductive age in South Africa. Methods: Data obtained from the 2016 SADHS was used in this study. Three types of data analysis were used: univariate, bivariate (with a chi-square test), and multivariate (binary logistic regression). Results: We found that age, population group, marital status, level of education, employment status, parity, media exposure, household wealth status, place of residence, and province were associated with late ANC. We found that younger women, women with primary or secondary education, women with higher parity, and women from the Eastern Cape had higher odds of late ANC. Conclusion: Awareness programmes should be implemented to address barriers to early use of ANC. There is also a need to educate younger women about the importance of early ANC.