Time to First Antenatal Care Booking and Its Predictors Among Pregnant Women Attending Antenatal Care Follow‐up at Pawe General Hospital, Pawe District, Northwest Ethiopia, 2024: A Retrospective Study

Background and Aims: In Ethiopia, below one third of pregnant mothers initiate antenatal care before 3 months, which partially attributed to maternal and neonatal mortality. However, there is limited evidence on predictors of time to first Antenatal care booking among pregnant women using survival analysis. Thus, this study aimed to determine the time to first Antenatal care booking and its predictors among pregnant women in Pawe General Hospital. Methods: An institutional-based retrospective follow-up study was conducted from June 05 to July 05, 2024. Total of 502 eligible women were enrolled consecutively until the sample size was reached. Data was collected using a structured interviewer-administered questionnaire and a data extraction tool. STATA 14.0 was used for data analysis. Median, percentage, frequency, and Kaplan-Meier Curve were reported. A log-normal parametric survival regression model was computed. A statistically significant association was declared at 95% confidence interval. Cox Snell Residuals were used to check overall model fitness. Results: The incidence of early ANC in Pawe General Hospital was 15.94%. The median time to first ANC was 17 weeks (95% CI: 17, 18). Urban resident (φ = 0.47, 95% CI: 0.27, 0.83), Protestant or Catholic (φ = 0.46, 95% CI: 0.25, 0.84) and Planned pregnancy (φ = 0.45, 95% CI: 0.25, 0.81) were predictors that shorten time to first Antenatal care booking. Government or private employees (φ = 1.60, 95% CI: 1.01, 2.55) book their first ANC later than housewives. Conclusion: Half of the women initiate their antenatal care after 17 weeks of their pregnancy. Urban residence, being Protestant or Catholic and planned pregnancy were factors associated with earlier ANC booking, while being a government or private employee was associated with late ANC booking. Therefore, we recommend targeted community outreach programs focusing on rural areas and government or private employees, as well as providing family planning to prevent unplanned pregnancies.