Knowledge, attitudes, and concerns regarding antenatal pregnancy screening among women in Hail city and its surrounding provinces: A cross-sectional survey study.

Background: In Saudi Arabia's Hail City and surrounding provinces, antenatal care (ANC) awareness is suboptimal and is influenced by demographic factors such as age and education. Despite high maternal mortality rates, ANC practices are seen as inadequate. This research is conducted to assess ANC awareness in Hail City to identify what knowledge gaps persist and inform strategies for enhancing maternal and child healthcare. Methods: We employed a descriptive cross-sectional survey through an online questionnaire and our target population was females aged 18 and older. The questionnaire was developed by the research team to evaluate knowledge and attitudes towards ANC. Knowledge was assessed on a 10-point scale and scores above 5 were deemed adequate while attitudes were rated up to 65 points based on responses to specific ANC practices. Results: Among the 468 female participants with a mean age of 26.9 years, about 90.8% recognized ANC's role in preventing maternal complications and 91.7% acknowledged its importance for fetal health while findings revealed only 10% correctly identified the recommended number of ANC visits. About 57.7% displayed adequate knowledge with 61.5% of women with previous pregnancies scoring higher than those without (54.5%, Conclusion: ANC awareness in Hail City demonstrates knowledge gaps with regard to recommended ANC visit frequency. Although attitudes toward ANC are positive but further research in rural areas is needed to improve comprehensive ANC understanding and practices in Saudi Arabia.