Knowledge and Utilization of Antenatal Care Services among Antenatal Care Attendees at General Hospital Wannune, Tarka Local Government Area, Benue State, Nigeria

Background: Antenatal care (ANC) represents an essential aspect of maternal healthcare, as it creates opportunities for health education, preventive care, early detection of pregnancy-related complications, and adequate preparation for delivery and parenthood. Although awareness of ANC is generally high in many communities, completing the recommended number of contacts continues to be challenging, especially in settings where financial and geographical constraints are present. Objective: The study examined the level of knowledge, utilization of antenatal care services, and barriers affecting utilization among pregnant women attending ANC at General Hospital Wannune, Tarka Local Government Area, Benue State, Nigeria. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional survey was carried out among 80 pregnant women attending antenatal care at General Hospital Wannune. Data were obtained through a semi-structured, self-administered questionnaire that covered socio-demographic characteristics, knowledge of ANC, utilization of services, and factors affecting utilization. Face-to-face assistance was provided to respondents who experienced difficulty completing the questionnaire. The collected data were analyzed using SPSS version 25. Frequencies, percentages, means, standard deviations, and Chi-square tests were used for data analysis. Results: The findings showed that respondents had a generally good level of knowledge of antenatal care (ANC) services. General awareness of antenatal care was high, with 96.3% of respondents indicating awareness of ANC services. Similarly, 92.5% understood the importance of ANC in promoting maternal and fetal well-being, while 88.8% recognized its role in preventing pregnancy-related complications. However, only 48.8% correctly identified the WHO recommendation of eight ANC contacts, whereas 63.8% held the misconception that ANC should only commence when pregnancy-related symptoms develop. In terms of utilization, 53.8% of respondents commenced ANC during the first trimester, 83.8% had completed at least four ANC visits, while only 38.8% reported having eight or more ANC contacts. The major barriers to utilization included financial cost (78.8%), distance from the hospital (72.5%), transportation difficulties (68.8%), prolonged waiting time (63.8%), and the attitude of healthcare workers (57.5%). Educational level was significantly associated with adherence to the recommended eight-contact ANC model, χ²(3, N=80) =10.24, p=.017, V=.36. Conclusion: The study revealed a disparity between knowledge of ANC and complete utilization of the recommended services. While general awareness and initiation of ANC during early pregnancy were relatively satisfactory, financial difficulties, geographical distance, transportation problems, lengthy waiting periods, and healthcare-provider-related factors continued to hinder the completion of recommended ANC contacts.