Exploring challenges faced by physically disabled women in utilizing antenal services in Kabale Municipality
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Date
2021
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Publisher
Bioline International
Abstract
The right to utilize ANC services is included in Sustainable
Development goals to improve maternal and neonatal health outcomes.
According to Uganda MOH, every pregnant woman has got to attend four ANC
visits in order to utilize the whole ANC package. Irrespective of the policy
framework and laws that have been put in place for every pregnant woman to
utilize antenatal care services from health care facilities, physically disabled
pregnant women globally, and Uganda in particular, still underutilize ANC
services from health care facilities. This is brought by challenges faced by
Physically Disabled Pregnant Women (PDPW) when utilizing ANC services in
health care facilities. Most studies on ANC services utilization are general
rather than being specific to physically disabled pregnant women.
To investigate the extent of utilization of ANC services among
physically disabled pregnant women (PDPWs) in health care facilities in
Kabale Municipality between February, 2019 and February 2020.
A purely qualitative method employing a descriptive
phenomenological design was used. A sample 15respondents, both Physically
Disabled Pregnant Women (PDPWs) and health workers were purposively
selected and interviewed. Data was collected from 7PDPWs and 8 health
workers using individual interviews, focus group discussion and observation.
Data was transcribed and analyzed thematically.
The extent of utilization of ANC services by PDPWs is very low. This
low ANC services utilization was due to challenges faced by PDPWs in
attempt utilize ANC services from health care facilities. The revealed
challenges were unmodified health care facilities, inadequate income, low levels of education among others. It was discovered that negative intrapersonal attitudes of PDPW make them not to utilize ANC services from health
care facilities. Inter-personal attitudes of health workers were quite positive
and supportive towards ANC services by PDPW.
There is low level of ANC services utilization among Physically
Disabled Pregnant Women (PDPWs). This is mainly due to challenges they
faced, in attempt to utilize ANC services, in health care facilities.
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Keywords
Antenatal care, Utilization, Physically Disabled Women