Factors affecting Knowledge and utilization of antenatal care services by pregnant women at Ahfad Family Health Center, Omdurman, Sudan.

This study is quantitative in nature aims at investigating knowledge of women concerning antenatal care services and the factors that shape this knowledge. A questionnaire was prepared, judged and tested for validity and realiability then used to collect data from women attending Ahfad University Family Health Center. The questionnaire was analyzed using SPSS. The study reflected that woman indicated knowledge concerning the importance of antenatal-care and its relations to the health of the child and mother. It showed that the distance of the center from the place of residence (which is reflected by the literature as a inhibiting factor), is not so significant to hinder women from paying the regular visits to the center, while the economic factor, and the long-wait to meet the health care providers were cited as important in making or missing visits to the Family Health Care Center. Using appointment system to reduce the waiting time for the pregnant women to see health providers and increase the frequency of delivering health education as well as promoting programs were recommended to help those women who reflected that they do not attend antenatal health centers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]