Knowledge and Implementation of the 2016 World Health Organization Antenatal Care Model among Healthcare Providers in Rural Healthcare Institutions in Edo State

Abstract

This study investigated the knowledge and implementation of the 2016 World Health Organization Antenatal Care Model among healthcare providers in rural healthcare institutions in Edo State. The study was conducted in 20 rural healthcare centres in Edo State. Descriptive survey design was used. The study population included 240 clinical healthcare providers out of which a total of 150 were selected using the convenience sampling technique. The instrument for data collection was a researcher structured questionnaire titled “Knowledge and Implementation of World Health Organization Antenatal Care Model Questionnaire (KIWHOACMQ)”. The questionnaire was administered on only full time clinical healthcare providers who have served in the various healthcare facilities for at least a period of one year. Due ethical clearance was obtained before the study was conducted. Data entry was made into the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) software version 23. Data analysis was done using descriptive statistics. Results revealed that 58.7% of the respondents have never heard about the WHO 2016 antenatal care model. 61.3% of the respondents do not know the goal of the antenatal care model. 62.7% of the respondents do not have knowledge of the number of contacts required in the 2016 antenatal care model; 88% of the respondents stated that the 2016 World Health Organization Antenatal Care Model has never been implemented in rural healthcare facilities in Edo State; the barriers to implementation of the 2016 World Health Organization Antenatal Care model among healthcare providers in rural healthcare facilities include poor staffing of healthcare facilities, inadequate working equipment, poor work attitude among healthcare providers, and misconception of mothers regarding antenatal care and indifference of mothers to antenatal care. The need for workshops and seminars to be organized at different community and healthcare facility levels as a way of improving the knowledge of the current antenatal care model among healthcare providers and consequent implementation was recommended.