AUTHOR=Islam Md. Hafizul , Jubayer Ahmed , Nayan Md. Moniruzzaman , Nowar Abira , Islam Saiful 

TITLE=Maternal Pregnancy Intention and Antenatal Care Seeking Behaviors in Bangladesh: Evidence From Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey, 2018

JOURNAL=International Journal of Public Health

VOLUME=Volume 68 - 2023

YEAR=2023

URL=https://www.ssph-journal.org/journals/international-journal-of-public-health/articles/10.3389/ijph.2023.1605944

DOI=10.3389/ijph.2023.1605944

ISSN=1661-8564

ABSTRACT=Objective: This study aimed to examine the association between pregnancy intention and antenatal care (ANC)-seeking behaviors among women in Bangladesh.Methods: ANC-related data of 5012 women, from the 2018 Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey (BDHS), who had a live birth within three years preceding the survey were analyzed in the study.Multivariate logistic regression models were used to assess the association of pregnancy intention with ANC utilization.Results: Approximately one-fifth (20.9%) of the women had unintended pregnancy. Among all the women, 40.4% received first ANC visit within the first three months of their pregnancies, 47% had at least four ANC visits, 26.1% received all the components of ANC services, and 22.2% received adequate dosage of supplementary iron-folic acid tablets/syrup. Women with unintended pregnancy were less likely to receive first ANC visit within the first three months, four or more ANC visits, and all ANC services than those with intended pregnancy.Unintended pregnancy was inversely associated with the proper utilization of ANC among pregnant women in Bangladesh. Appropriate measures to reduce unintended pregnancy might foster the utilization of optimum antenatal care.