Evaluation of the prenatal care usage of mothers that gave birth at the ministry of health, aydin maternity hospital, the factors related to prenatal care usage and their behaviours and attitudes in this period.

Aim and Introduction: Prenatal care means the follow up procedure of mother and the fetus done by a trained health care proffessional with regular intervals with necassary examinations and recommendations. In order to provide healthy continuance of conception for both mother and the baby medical controls should be done from conception till birth. The aim of the study is evaluation of the prenatal care usage of mothers that gave birth at the Ministry of Health, Aydın Maternity Hospital, the factors related to prenatal care usage and their behaviours and attitudes in this period.Material and Method: In this study, 150 mothers giving birth in Aydın Maternity Hospital between March 2007 and July 2007 and willing to take part were included consecutively. The questionnaire was administared to participants by face to face interviewing method after giving information about our study and taking a verbal concent. The questionnaire was composed of of 67 questions regarding the sociodemographic and obstetric features, prenatal care usage and their knowledge, attitude and behaviours related to prenatal care. Descriptive statistics, chi-square and Pearson correlation tests were used for statistical analysis. p<0,05 was accepted as statistically significant.Results: The mean age of participants was 22,6±2,9. 61,3% were primary school graduates 58% were housewives and 99% had social insurance. The most commonly encountered problem in previous pregnancy was bleeding with a percantage of 14%, and most commonly encountered problem in their last pregnancy was urinary tract infection with a percantage of 12,7%. 4,7% stated usage of tobacco during their pregnancy. The percantage of participants who had taken prenatal care at least once during their previous pregnancy was 72,1% and in their last pregnancy the percantage was 96%. The difference was not statistically significant (p= 0,484). 83,3% of mothers who had not taken prenatal care accused economic difficulties for not taking prenatal care. 84,7% of women took prenatal care in primary care centers and 81,2% had gone to a physician for prenatal care. Of the total 21,3% had caesarean sectio in their last delivery and university graduates had higher rates of caesarean sectio than others (p=0,001). The rate of adequate prenatal care was significantly higher in the group of mothers who were high school graduates than primary school graduates or illiterate (p= 0,042). Rate of adequate preantal care usage was significantly lower in housewives compared to other professions (p=0,001). There was a weak correlation between number of abortion and death children with adequate prenatal care (r= -0,173, p=0,034 ve r= -0186, p=0,023 respectively).Conclusion: In conclusion the rates of prenatal care in central Aydın is as expected but to supply adequate and qualified prenatal care for the group of women with low socioeconomic or educational level or no social insurance is to be aimed and planned.Key words: Prenatal care, pregnant, women?s health, service