Utilization of antenatal care by young mothers and adolescents in Nigeria

According to the 2018 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey, 19% of Nigerian women aged 15–19 years have begun childbearing; 14% have already given birth, and 4% are pregnant with their first child. Despite the greater risk of maternal morbidity and mortality, this age group faces barriers to accessing Antenatal Care (ANC) services. This study examined the use of prenatal care and associated sociodemographic factors affecting the utilization of ANC among young mothers and adolescents in Nigeria. This was a cross-sectional study that utilized data from the 2021 Nigeria Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS). A total of 2014 adolescents and young mothers were included in this study. The outcome variable was the number of ANC visits, while the sociodemographic characteristics were independent variables. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 26 employing univariate analysis, chi-square tests, and bivariate logistic regression. The study showed that only 18.3% of young women aged 15–24 had 8 or more ANC visits. Women of Yoruba and Igbo ethnicity were found to be more likely to have 8 or more ANC visits to other ethnicity (OR = 3.14, p-value = 0.002; OR = 2.00, p-value = 0.164; OR = 1.142, p-value = 0.699). Respondents exposed to media are 36% more likely to utilize ANC than those who do not have media exposure (OR = 1.360, p-value = 0.057), those who used the internet are 33% more likely to utilize ANC than those who do not (OR = 1.326, p-value = 0.131). Women who are in the second, middle, fourth, and richest wealth index quintile were associated with higher odds of ANC utilization. Many adolescents and young mothers aged 15–24 years do not meet up with the recommended 8 ANC visits during pregnancy. Innovative health intervention programs tailored for different social strata of adolescents and young mothers should be implemented to increase the uptake of ANC in this population group.