ArticleBMJ open2026
Factors associated with early obstetric ultrasound uptake at a tertiary hospital in Northern Uganda: a cross-sectional study.
Article in BMJ open, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
6 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundEarly obstetric ultrasound improves gestational age estimation, detection of fetal anomalies and management of pregnancy complications. The WHO recommends at least one ultrasound examination before 24 weeks of gestation. However, uptake of early obstetric ultrasound in many low-resource settings remains poorly documented, including in post-conflict Northern Uganda. This study assessed the prevalence and factors associated with uptake of obstetric ultrasound before 24 weeks of gestation among pregnant women attending antenatal care at a tertiary hospital in Northern Uganda.
methodsA facility-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 428 pregnant women attending antenatal care at Gulu Regional Referral Hospital between December 2024 and May 2025. Participants were selected using systematic sampling. Data were collected using a pretested interviewer-administered questionnaire. The facility does not routinely offer a dedicated second-trimester (20-24 weeks) anatomy scan; ultrasound is largely opportunistic and clinician or patient initiated. Multivariable Poisson regression with robust SEs was used to estimate adjusted prevalence ratios (aPR) and 95% CIs.
resultsThe prevalence of at least one obstetric ultrasound scan before 24 weeks of gestation was 64.0%. Independent predictors of early ultrasound uptake included access to transportation (aPR=1.96, 95% CI 1.19 to 3.25), history of congenital anomaly (aPR=1.27, 95% CI 1.09 to 1.48), not being in a union (ie, unmarried and not cohabiting with a partner) (aPR=1.29, 95% CI 1.07 to 1.56) and being satisfied with the results of an ultrasound scan in a previous pregnancy (aPR=1.38, 95% CI 1.06 to 1.57).
conclusionsUptake of early obstetric ultrasound in Northern Uganda remains suboptimal even in tertiary health facilities. Structural access barriers, obstetric history and previous service experience influence utilisation. Strategies aimed at improving transport access, strengthening provider counselling and improving service quality may enhance early ultrasound uptake.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
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.