Socioeconomic Disparities, Pregnancy Factors and Inadequate Antenatal Care Utilization in Rural Cambodia

Abstract

Background: Antenatal care (ANC) is widely known as the most efficient measures for reducing

maternal mortality. This research aimed to describe ANC utilization pattern and identify the relationships

of socioeconomic disparities, pregnancy factors and inadequate ANC among pregnant women in rural

Cambodia.

Method: This cross-sectional study used the data from the Cambodia Demographic Health Survey (CDHS).

The CDHS collected the data from 3,764 women who gave birth in the preceding five-year period using a

structured questionnaire. The generalized linear mixed model (GLMM) was used to identify the association

of socioeconomic, pregnancy factors and inadequate ANC utilization when controlling the effects of other

co-variates presenting adjusted OR and 95% confidence interval.

Results: Among the total of 3,764 respondents. Almost one-third had inadequate ANC (31.59%;95%CI:

30.10-33.07%). Factors that were statistically associated with inadequate ANC were taking ANC in private

sectors (adj OR. = 2.10, 95%CI: 1.47– 2.99), unwanted pregnancy (adj OR. =1.70, 95%CI: 1.44– 2.01),

multiparity of three babies or higher (adj OR. = 1.66, 95%CI: 1.42– 1.94), illiteracy (adj OR. = 2.08,

95%CI: 1.41– 1.92), had spouse finished only primary education (adj OR. = 2.13, 95%CI: 1.45– 1.92) when

controlling other factors including age, education, occupation, husband’s age, occupation, financial status,

accessing health facility.

Conclusion: Almost one-third of pregnant women in rural Cambodia had inadequate ANC. Both

socioeconomic and pregnancy factors had influence on having inadequate ANC.