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Wealth and antenatal care use: implications for maternal health care utilisation in Ghana

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  • Eric Arthur

Abstract

The study investigates the effect of wealth on maternal health care utilization in Ghana via its effect on Antenatal care use. Antenatal care serves as the initial point of contact of expectant mothers to maternal health care providers before delivery. The study is pivoted on the introduction of the free maternal health care policy in April 2005 in Ghana with the aim of reducing the financial barrier to the use of maternal health care services, to help reduce the high rate of maternal deaths. Prior to the introduction of the policy, studies found wealth to have a positive and significant influence on the use of Antenatal care. It is thus expected that with the policy, wealth should not influence the use of maternal health care significantly. Using secondary data from the 2008 Ghana Demographic and Health survey, the results have revealed that wealth still has a significant influence on adequate use of Antenatal care. Education, age, number of living children, transportation and health insurance are other factors that were found to influence the use of Antenatal care in Ghana. There also exist considerable variations in the use of Antenatal care in the geographical regions and between the rural and urban dwellers. It is recommended that to improve the use of Antenatal care and hence maternal health care utilization, some means of support is provided especially to women within the lowest wealth quintiles, like the provision and availability of recommended medication at the health center; secondly, women should be encouraged to pursue education to at least the secondary level since this improves their use of maternal health services. Policy should also target mothers who have had the experience of child birth on the need to use adequate Antenatal care for each pregnancy, since these mothers tend to use less antenatal care for subsequent pregnancies. The regional disparities found may be due to inaccessibility and unavailability of health facilities and services in the rural areas and in some of the regions. The government and other service providers (NGOs, religious institutions and private providers) may endeavor to improve on the distribution of health facilities, human resources, good roads and necessary infrastructure among other things in order to facilitate easy access to health care providers especially for the rural dwellers. Copyright Arthur; licensee Springer. 2012

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  • Eric Arthur, 2012. "Wealth and antenatal care use: implications for maternal health care utilisation in Ghana," Health Economics Review, Springer, vol. 2(1), pages 1-8, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:hecrev:v:2:y:2012:i:1:p:1-8:10.1186/2191-1991-2-14
    DOI: 10.1186/2191-1991-2-14
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    1. Ruth Atuhaire & Robert Wamala & Leonard. K Atuhaire & Elizabeth Nansubuga, 2021. "Regional differentials in early antenatal care, health facility delivery and early postnatal care among women in Uganda," Journal of Economics and Behavioral Studies, AMH International, vol. 13(4), pages 17-30.
    2. Rana Ejaz Ali Khan & Muhammad Ali Raza, 2016. "Utilization of prenatal-care in India: an evidence from IDHS," Journal of Social and Economic Development, Springer;Institute for Social and Economic Change, vol. 18(1), pages 175-201, October.
    3. Danny Turkson & Joy Kafui Ahiabor, 2020. "Implication of Natal Care and Maternity Leave on Child Morbidity: Evidence from Ghana," Global Journal of Health Science, Canadian Center of Science and Education, vol. 12(9), pages 1-94, August.
    4. Tusawar Iftikhar Ahmad & Saima Shafiq & Kokab Kiran & Amna Alamgir, 2019. "The Effect of Health Infrastructure, Adult Literacy, and Household Characteristics on Antenatal Care (ANC) Coverage in Punjab (Pakistan)," iRASD Journal of Management, International Research Alliance for Sustainable Development (iRASD), vol. 1(2), pages 105-114, December.
    5. Edward Kwabena Ameyaw & Raymond Elikplim Kofinti & Francis Appiah, 2017. "National health insurance subscription and maternal healthcare utilisation across mothers’ wealth status in Ghana," Health Economics Review, Springer, vol. 7(1), pages 1-15, December.
    6. Ekow Asmah, Emmanuel & Orkoh, Emmanuel, 2015. "The Effects of Loan Amounts on Health Care Utilization in Ghana," MPRA Paper 62514, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    7. Mulu Ftwi & Gebremedhin Gebre-egziabher Gebretsadik & Haftu Berhe & Mebrahtom Haftu & Gebrehiwot Gebremariam & Yemane Berhane Tesfau, 2020. "Coverage of completion of four ANC visits based on recommended time schedule in Northern Ethiopia: A community-based cross-sectional study design," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 15(8), pages 1-14, August.
    8. Dana Barthel & Levente Kriston & Daniel Fordjour & Yasmin Mohammed & Esther Doris Kra-Yao & Carine Esther Bony Kotchi & Ekissi Jean Koffi Armel & Kirsten Alexandra Eberhardt & Torsten Feldt & Rebecca , 2017. "Trajectories of maternal ante- and postpartum depressive symptoms and their association with child- and mother-related characteristics in a West African birth cohort study," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 12(11), pages 1-16, November.
    9. Luginaah, Isaac N. & Kangmennaang, Joseph & Fallah, Mosoka & Dahn, Bernice & Kateh, Francis & Nyenswah, Tolbert, 2016. "Timing and utilization of antenatal care services in Liberia: Understanding the pre-Ebola epidemic context," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 160(C), pages 75-86.
    10. Nkechi Owoo & Monica Lambon-Quayefio, 2013. "National health insurance, social influence and antenatal care use in Ghana," Health Economics Review, Springer, vol. 3(1), pages 1-12, December.
    11. Philip Ayizem Dalinjong & Alex Y Wang & Caroline S E Homer, 2018. "Has the free maternal health policy eliminated out of pocket payments for maternal health services? Views of women, health providers and insurance managers in Northern Ghana," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 13(2), pages 1-19, February.
    12. Adeniyi Francis Fagbamigbe & Ngianga-Bakwin Kandala & Olalekan A Uthman, 2020. "Mind the gap: What explains the poor-non-poor inequalities in severe wasting among under-five children in low- and middle-income countries? Compositional and structural characteristics," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 15(11), pages 1-21, November.
    13. Barman, Bikash & Saha, Jay & Chouhan, Pradip, 2020. "Impact of education on the utilization of maternal health care services: An investigation from National Family Health Survey (2015–16) in India," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 108(C).
    14. Monica Lambon-Quayefio & Nkechi Owoo, 2014. "Examining the Influence of Antenatal Care Visits and Skilled Delivery on Neonatal Deaths in Ghana," Applied Health Economics and Health Policy, Springer, vol. 12(5), pages 511-522, October.
    15. Rifkatu Nghargbu & Olanrewaju Olaniyan, 2019. "Working Paper 321- Determinants of Antenatal Care Utilization in Nigeria," Working Paper Series 2447, African Development Bank.
    16. Emmanuel Orkoh & Emmanuel Ekow Asmah, 2017. "Loan Amounts and Health Care Utilization in Ghana," Eastern European Business and Economics Journal, Eastern European Business and Economics Studies Centre, vol. 3(2), pages 176-193.
    17. Danny Turkson & Joy Kafui Ahiabor, 2020. "Implication of Natal Care and Maternity Leave on Child Morbidity: Evidence from Ghana," Papers 2008.12910, arXiv.org.
    18. Igna Bonfrer & Lyn Breebaart & Ellen Van de Poel, 2016. "The Effects of Ghana’s National Health Insurance Scheme on Maternal and Infant Health Care Utilization," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 11(11), pages 1-13, November.
    19. Caroline Chelangat & Mary Kipmerewo & Beatrice Mukabana, 2021. "Factors Influencing Women’s Preferred Mode of Delivery in Kericho County Hospitals, Kenya," Global Journal of Health Science, Canadian Center of Science and Education, vol. 13(11), pages 1-89, November.
    20. Fosu, Prince, 2020. "The Effect of Government Expenditure and Free Maternal Health Care Policy on Household Consumption in Ghana," MPRA Paper 101551, University Library of Munich, Germany.

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