Frequency and Factors Associated with Delay in Antenatal Care Services at Public Health Care Facility in Lahore, Pakistan: A Cross-Sectional Study

Background: Antenatal care is critical for the health of pregnant women and their newborns. However, manyunderdeveloped nations do not adhere to the World Health Organization's recommended schedule of trimester visits.Objective: To determine the frequency and factors associated with delay in antenatal care services at public health careinstitution in Lahore, Pakistan.Methods: A cross-sectional study comprising 232 adult pregnant women aged 18-45 from a tertiary care hospital inLahore was done using non-probability convenience sampling. A structured questionnaire was used to gather data,which was then analyzed with SPSS version 25. Descriptive statistics and Chi-square test were used, and a p-value lessthan 0.05 were considered statistically significant.Results: The patients' average age was 29.38±6.57 years. The study showed that 133(57.3%) of respondents arrivedlate for their initial antenatal care appointment, with characteristics such as age, education level, work status, area ofresidence, and monthly income strongly associated with the delay in prenatal care (p-value <0.001).Conclusion: The study showed a significant frequency of prenatal care delays, which was associated to respondents' age,education, occupation, residence, and income. It encourages coordination between health facilities, the Minister of Health,and other stakeholders to begin follow-up within the required timeframe.