Effect of Antenatal Education on Knowledge and Utilization of Facility Based Delivery Services among Pregnant Women in Mpika District

Background: Maternal mortality remains a significant public health concern in Zambia, particularly in rural areas. In Mpika District, the utilization of facility-based delivery services is still low (76%) and home deliveries account for 24 percent. Moreover, the pattern of utilization of delivery services is not known. The aim of this study therefore was to evaluate the effectiveness of comprehensive health education on knowledge and utilization of maternal health services among antenatal mothers in Mpika District. Objective: To ascertain the effect of antenatal education on knowledge and utilization of facility-based delivery services among pregnant mothers in two health facilities in Mpika District. Methods & Materials: A quasi-experimental design using a pre-post design was employed, comparing a study group receiving comprehensive health education with a control group receiving standard care. Data were collected from 276 pregnant women in their second trimester for both the intervention (141) and control (135) groups. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire and analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Results: The respondents were pregnant women aged between 16 years up to 42 years with a significant proportion (8% - 11%) of teenagers (less than 18 years old) in both the control and intervention groups indicating a concern for teen pregnancies in rural areas (Mean age: 24.5, SD: 5.2). The mean age is significantly different from 30 years (p i.e. Attended more than three Antenatal visits (85% vs 64%, p Conclusion & Recommendations: The findings of this study demonstrate the positive impact of comprehensive health education on knowledge and utilization of maternal health services among antenatal mothers in Mpika District. The findings show significant improvements in knowledge of danger signs, birth planning, and complication readiness as well as increased utilization of antenatal and delivery services. The study underscores the importance of health education in enhancing maternal health outcomes and reducing maternal and neonatal mortality. The study has also shown that routine health education may not have much impact on knowledge and utilization of MCH and delivery services. There is need to integrate comprehensive health education into antenatal care and prioritize health education as an integral component of antenatal care. There is also need to focus on improving knowledge of danger signs and birth planning through targeted and scheduled health education.