The influence of age cohort differentials on antenatal care attendance and supervised deliveries in Uganda

Abstract

Background: Utilization of maternal and child health services is very low in many sub Saharan African countries. In addition to the myriad of factors explaining low utilization of maternal and child services, differences in age cohorts are potential determinants of uptake of reproductive health services.

Purpose: The general aim of our study was to better understand the influence of age cohort of women on antenatal care (ANC) and delivery with skilled personnel. Specifically, we aimed at examining whether age cohort differences affect ANC attendance and supervised deliveries in Uganda.

Methods: We examine the influence of age cohort differences on ANC attendance and the likelihood of having supervised deliveries in Uganda among women (n=5,004) aged 15-49 years who had given birth within the five years preceding the 2006 Uganda Demographic and Health Survey. Age cohorts consisted of young women born between 1982–1991 (15-24 years), the middle-aged women born between 1972–1981 (25-34 years), and the older women born between 1957–1971 (35-49 years).

Results: Generally, women were more likely to attend ANC than to deliver under skilled care. Specifically, older women (35-49 years), with low education, having more than one living child, the less wealthy, and rural residents were less likely than their counterparts to attend ANC and have a supervised delivery.

Conclusions: Efforts aimed at encouraging older women to deliver under skilled care need to be strengthened in order to improve maternal and child health. These efforts are critical as we progress towards the deadline for achieving Millennium Development Goals of maternal and child mortality reduction in 2015.