Abstract

Objective: To analyze quality of antenatal care by time and background characteristics of women Methods: DHS dataset for last two surveys from three countries (Nepal, Ethopia and Bolivia) were downloaded from Measure DHS website. Information on the number of antenatal visits for mothers who gave birth in last five years preceding the survey and quality of care during those visits were analyzed, using Stata v.12. Descriptive trend analysis on ANC visits and quality was considered. Good quality of ANC was considered if blood pressure, urine sample, blood sample were taken and counseled about pregnancy complication and counseled on where to go in case of complication were mencioned for any births in last five years. Logistic regression for good quality of ANC visit with mother’s area of residence, education and wealth quintile were assessed. Findings: Nepal and Bolivia showed a marked increase in the number of antenatal care and in the quality of them. In the same way, the quality of the antenatal care increase when the strata of residence, maternal education, and wealth quintile are analized. The logistic regression model showed that residence in an urban area, higher education of the mother, and being in a higher wealth quintile are more likely to receive prenatal care quality. Conclusion: There is still a gap of inequality in access to antenatal care that should be considered in planning care programs for mothers and children.