Identify the Causes of Irregular Visits of Pregnant Women to Receive Prenatal Care in Parturient Confined to the Medical Centers in Tehran during 1998.

Abstract

Abstract: Introduction & Method: The present research was a descriptive study. The goal of the study was to Identify the causes of irregular visits of pregnant women to receive prenatal care in parturient confined to the medical centers in Tehran during 1998. We are discussing about parturient who had four or fewer prenatal care visits or care only in the third trimester and who gave birth at the medical centers in Tehran. Five of 14 medical centers with delivery center in different area of Tehran (North, South, Center, East, west) were chosen with Cluster random sampling method so data were gathered from 375 parturient after delivery. The samples were taken as convenience accidental sampling method. Data were gathered by a questionnaire including 3 parts: 1.Sociodemoghraphic Causes. 2. Structural Causes. 3. Personal Causes consisted of attitude and knowledge. Results: The results of the research using descriptive statistics presented in 20 tables. The results were: parturient between 20 and 29 years of age (50.9%). Marriage age below of 19 years (81.03%). Housewife (97.9%), Ni education (41%), husband’s primary education (48.53%), husbands with free job and husbands who were worker respectively (531.1%, 32.3%), residence in south of Tehran (57.1%), family with 5 to 6 and 7 members (46.7%), history of abortion and stillbirth respectively (11%, 4%), still birth in this pregnancy (0.5%), just moved into the area (19.2%), lack of transportation (22.4%), unwanted pregnancy (40%), lack of clinic (12.8%), lack of child care (21.6%), the most care beginning in the second trimester (36%), the most reference during first and second trimester were 1 times respectively (24.6%, 32.2%) and during third trimester were 2 times (30.7%), there were more reference to government centers (4702&) and more ti health centers (32%) than private centers (39.2%). The most frequently cited attitude causes of personal causes were I had babies before and knew how to take care of myself (59.2%) I didn’t think it was important (38.4%). In knowledge part from personal causes. Parturient had fewer knowledge about benefits of early and regular receive of prenatal care including reduced maternal and infant morbidity and regular receive of prenatal care including reduces maternal and infant morbidity and mortality and reduced postpartum complications. The most frequently cited structural causes were difficulty in paying for prenatal care (32.8%), uninsured (28.8%).