Abstract
The study examined age and marital status as predictors of antenatal care (ANC) utilization among pregnant women attending Primary Healthcare Clinics in Bama Local Government, Borno State. Two objectives were raised, two research questions answered, and two hypotheses tested using a cross-sectional research design. Data were collected with a twenty-item self-developed questionnaire on a four-point Likert scale with a Cronbach’s alpha reliabilty index of 0.84. Four primary healthcare facilities were purposively selected across Bama Local Government. Within these facilities, the population comprised 1,431 pregnant women, from which a sample of 306 was determined using the Research Advisors table (2006). Systematic random sampling was employed for questionnaire administration, and 291 completed questionnaires were successfully retrieved. Descriptive statistics answered the research questions, while multiple regression analysis indicated that age and marital status were significant predictors of ANC utilization. It was recommended that health authorities in Bama design educational programs to inform younger women about early and regular ANC, provide additional support to unmarried or separated women, develop age-specific ANC initiatives, encourage family and partner support for pregnant women, integrate demographic factors into health planning, and establish monitoring systems to track ANC attendance patterns to enhance access and utilization across all primary healthcare facilities.
2025-12-31
Vol. 2 Issue No. 1 December 2025
Articles
Antenatal care, age, marital status, pregnant women, utilization
Vol. 2 Issue No. 1 December 2025
/ ArticlePREDICTIVE ROLE OF AGE AND MARITAL STATUS IN ANTENATAL CARE UTILIZATION AMONG PREGNANT WOMEN IN BAMA LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA, BORNO STATE
BABAGANA, Mohammed
Department of Physical and Health Education, University of Maiduguri, Borno State
bbgana7020@gmail.com
BULAMA, Kaumi
Department of Health Information Management, Maryam Abacha American University of Niger Republic
MODU, Mohammed Abba
Department of Physical and Health Education, Umar Ibn Ibrahim El-Kenemi College of Education, Science and Technology, Bama, Borno State.
MODU, Ummi Alhaji
College of Nursing Sciences, Maiduguri, Borno State
WUROMA, Aisha Zanna
Kashim Ibrahim University, Borno State