Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40131866›Full record

ArticlePloS one2025

Utilisation of eight or more antenatal care visits and its associated socio-economic-related inequalities in sub-Saharan Africa: A decomposition analysis.

Richard Gyan Aboagye, Augustus Osborne, Anayochukwu Edward Anyasodor, Sharon Vera Yikindi, Qorinah Estiningtyas Sakilah Adnani, Bright Opoku Ahinkorah

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Article in PloS one, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

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1citing papers in PubMed
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1 · What the graph read from it

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2 · The registry

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3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

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4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Richard Gyan AboagyeSchool of Population Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.ORCID 0000-0002-3498-2909
Augustus OsborneDepartment of Biological Sciences, School of Basic Sciences, Njala University, PMB, Freetown, Sierra Leone.ORCID 0000-0002-0226-841X
Anayochukwu Edward AnyasodorRural Health Research Institute, Charles Sturt University, Orange, New South Wales, Australia.
Sharon Vera YikindiCape Coast Nursing and Midwifery Training College, Cape Coast, Ghana.
Qorinah Estiningtyas Sakilah AdnaniDepartment of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Padjadjaran, Bandung, West Java, Indonesia.ORCID 0000-0002-4625-4861
Bright Opoku AhinkorahREMS Consultancy Services Limited, Sekondi-Takoradi, Western Region, Ghana.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionInadequate utilisation of maternal healthcare services, particularly antenatal care (ANC), poses a challenge in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). There is a dearth of regional studies that address the socio-economic disparities in the use of ANC in SSA. Therefore, we examined the wealth and education-based inequalities in the utilisation of ANC services among women in SSA.

methodsWe analysed secondary data obtained from the Demographic Health Survey conducted in fifteen countries in SSA. We estimated the degree of wealth and education-related inequalities using concentration curves, concentration indices (CIX), and decomposition analysis, which identified the factors contributing to the disparities in the utilisation of ANC. All the analyses were conducted using Stata version 17.0 (Stata Corporation, College Station, TX, USA).

resultsThe results revealed a significant socio-economic gap in utilising ANC in SSA. We found positive and statistically significant wealth index-related (CIX = 0.30; p-value < 0.0001) and education-based inequalities (CIX = 0.33; p-value < 0.0001) in eight or more ANC visits. The extent of wealth index-related and education-based inequalities varied across the fifteen countries. The decomposition analysis showed that educational attainment accounted for about 21% of the inequalities in eight or more ANC visits. Wealth index contributed 12.14% of the inequalities in eight or more ANC visits. Our results further showed that women's education, wealth, parity, and place of residence significantly contributed to the utilisation of eight visits or more among women in SSA.

conclusionThis study shows the disparities in ANC coverage, contingent upon wealth index and educational attainment. Our study highlights the importance of adopting a holistic approach involving robust cooperation between healthcare and other social service sectors. It is crucial to prioritise the primary social factors contributing to disparities in the utilisation of ANC services, including women's education, parity, place of residence, and economic status. Policymakers and stakeholders must prioritise efforts to combat obstacles to healthcare access, including the provision of easily accessible, affordable, and culturally appropriate services.

Indexed as

Healthcare DisparitiesPatient Acceptance of Health CarePrenatal CareAdolescentAdultAfrica South of the SaharaEducational StatusFemaleHumansMiddle AgedPregnancySocioeconomic FactorsYoung Adult

Identifiers

PMID40131866
PMCPMC11936203

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.