Impact of Significant Others on Antenatal Care Utilization among Ever-Married Women in Nigeria: A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract Objective Reproductive health decisions are rarely made solely by women; beyond individual and sociodemographic characteristics, significant others such as spouses, mothers, mothers-in-law, and community play important roles in women’s Antenatal Care (ANC) seeking behaviours. Therefore, this paper examines the significant others’ impact and their associations with ANC utilization among Ever-Married Nigerian Women who have ever been pregnant or are currently pregnant. Method A cross-sectional design using stratified multi-stage sampling with probability proportional to size was conducted among women of reproductive age (15 − 49 years) in Nigeria. The impact of significant others on ANC adequacy among 1,328 women who have past/currently pregnancy was examined. The data collected were analysed at three levels: univariate, bivariate, and multivariable analyses using a multinomial logistic regression model. Results The results revealed that 39.4% of the women who received adequate ANC experienced a positive significant others’ impact, as against 25.5% who experienced a negative significant others’ impact. Adequacy of ANC was significantly associated with significant others’ impact, employment status, and wanting pregnancy at the time among women. Women who have a positive significant other’s impact were significantly twice as likely (AOR = 2.190; 95% C.I. = 1.244–3.855; p = 0.007) to receive adequate ANC compared to those who have a negative impact. Conclusion This study found a significant association between ANC adequacy and significant others’ impact during pregnancy in the study area. Overall, the inadequacy of ANC in this study reflects a composite interaction of geographic and psychosocial factors, consistent with national evidence that ANC utilisation in Nigeria remains persistent and unevenly distributed across regions and social groups. Therefore, targeted interventions are necessary to promote employment opportunities, financial autonomy, pregnancy planning, reproductive health education, women’s autonomy, and a supportive household environment, thereby enhancing ANC adequacy and improving maternal health outcomes.