Browsing by Author "Nkonzo, Zolani Lucky"

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    Exploration of factors contributing to the non-attendance of antenatal care by pregnant women at King Cetshwayo district in Kwazulu-Natal
    (University of Zululand, 2021) Nkonzo, Zolani Lucky
    Introduction: Antenatal Care (ANC) along with family planning, skilled delivery care, is the key element of services aimed at improving maternal and child healthcare. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), attendance of ANC is significant for a routine follow-up care including screening to intensive life support during pregnancy up to delivery. During Antenatal Care (ANC) visits, a number of examinations such as taking of blood pressure to detect hypertension, urine analysis to detect any possible presence of proteins and measuring of weight are conducted to establish foetal growth restrictions. Most pregnant women do not attend scheduled ANC visits during their pregnancy, putting themselves and their unborn babies at risk of pregnancy- related complications. Aim of the study: The study was aimed at exploring and describing factors contributing to non- attendance of Antenatal Care by pregnant women at King Cetshwayo District in KwaZulu-Natal. Methodology A qualitative, explorative, descriptive design was used to conduct the study. The study was guided by Nola Pender’s Health Promotion Model. The study population consisted of 12 pregnant women attending ANC at King Cetshwayo health district in KwaZulu-Natal who were purposefully sampled. Data collection was determined by data saturation and analysed thematically. Findings The findings of the study revealed four major themes such as the location of PHC facilities, cultural beliefs, knowledge deficits and financial constraints. The study revealed several challenges hindering pregnant women from attending ANC visits which may pose risks to pregnant women and their unborn babies leading to increased maternal mortality rates. Conclusion and recommendations of the study The study findings revealed that most pregnant women are faced with various challenges regarding the attendance of the ANC. Therefore, the researcher iii recommended that pregnant women should be taught about pregnancy and related complications including the prevention of maternal mortality by encouraging them to attend all ANC scheduled visits. More campaigns regarding pregnancy and the importance of ANC attendance by pregnant women should be organised and conducted in the district. Existing policies regarding the initiation of ANC attendance must be reinforced to ensure that they are implemented. Moreover, more research should be conducted regarding the phenomenon to include a wider range of populations and study areas and to broaden the scope of the research topic.