| dc.description.abstract | An estimated 150,000 maternal deaths occur annually among African women due to pregnancy and child bearing related causes. It is also recorded that an estimated 7,700 kenyan women also die annually as a result of the same. ANC is one of the core elements of the continuum of care women should receive in order to avert the wide range of risks associated with pregnancy. Effective implementation of ANC services present an opportunity to minimize the high risk for poor perinatal outcomes and other birth complications which has been demonstrated to improve pregnancy outcomes and subsequently minimize risks associated with childbirth. Mixed study design was adopted on 285post-natal mothers between January 2018 and December 2018 at Migosi Sub County Hospital in Kisumu County, Kenya. Purposive sampling technique was used and data collected using semi-structured questionnaires from mothers at the post natal ward who received ANC services at MSCH and KII guide from nurses providing direct care to those mothers. The study objectives were to determine the level of utilization of antenatal care services ,to find out patient factors that influence utilization of antenatal care services and to analyze health facility factors that influence utilization of antenatal care services at MSCH. The outcome of this study included information and data on level of ANC services utilization by pregnant mothers as outlined in the Kenya MOH guidelines and how factors influencing ANC utilization were addressed. Data was analyzed using descriptive statistics, chi square and SPSS version 20 was used to interpret and identify factors influencing utilization of ANC services. A total of 225(78.95%, P-value <0.001,95%CI) mothers made four and above ANC visits, 60 (21.05%) did not make the required minimum four visits due to various reasons. Patient factors and health facility factors influencing ANC utilization were gestation at ANC onset (48.07%,n=137; P- value <0.001 ,95% CI ), Cost for health services during ANC (77.19%, n=220; P-value 0.005, 95% CI), male partner involvement (59.3%,n=169; Pvalue 0.01,95% CI) and missing of drugs during ANC visit (22.46%, n=64, P-value 0.01,95% CI). In conclusion, patient and health facility factors influence utilization of ANC services at Migosi Sub-County hospital, Kisumu County, Kenya. The study recommends that the facility should enforce free ANC services to enhance its full utilization, Pregnant women should start ANC at a gestational age of less than 12 weeks to ensure better health outcome, continous health education and creation of awareness to the community to maintain high level of information about male partner involvement , additional special allocation budget for ANC commodities to be considered by the MOH to enable mothers recieve all ANC services needed during their gestational period .The study further recommends modeling of the health facility and patient factors to see how they influence utilization of ANC and finally future research on non completion of ANC visits since almost two thirds of the global maternal and neonatal disease burden could be alleviated through optimal adaptation and uptake of existing research findings. | en_US |