Factors influencing antenatal care utilisation in Madang Province, Papua New Guinea: a qualitative study.

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Antenatal care (ANC) provides an opportunity to prevent or minimise adverse pregnancy outcomes and enhance women's health by providing essential interventions including malaria prevention measures. In Papua New Guinea (PNG), three quarters of women commence ANC after the first trimester of pregnancy and one in five women receive no ANC. The present qualitative study aimed to explore determinants of ANC utilisation in the context of a clinical trial of intermittent preventative treatment of malaria in pregnancy in PNG. METHODS: A cross-sectional qualitative study was conducted at four health facilities in Madang Province, PNG, between 17 April and 6 September 2023. Data were colle..