ANTENATAL CARE AWARENESS IN A PERI-URBAN POPULATION: AN EVIDENCE FROM A TERTIARY CARE HOSPITAL IN LAHORE, PUNJAB, PAKISTAN

Abstract

Background: Antenatal care (ANC) awareness is a key determinant of maternal and neonatal health outcomes, yet peri-urban populations in Pakistan, which combine urban and rural healthcare access patterns, remain underrepresented in the awareness literature. Objectives: To assess the level of ANC awareness among pregnant women attending a tertiary care public hospital in Shahdara, Lahore, and to evaluate the association between ANC awareness and socio-demographic and obstetric variables. Methods: An analytical, cross-sectional study was conducted among 300 pregnant women recruited by convenience sampling from the obstetrics and gynecology outpatient department. Awareness was assessed using a 20-item questionnaire (Cronbach's alpha ≥0.7) categorized as poor (<50%), moderate (50-75%), or good (≥75%) awareness. Fisher's exact test was used as the primary test of association between awareness and socio-demographic/obstetric variables, at α=0.05. Results: Of 299 women with valid data, most demonstrated good awareness (55.0%), 44.0% moderate, and 0.7% poor. Awareness was highest for exclusive breastfeeding (84.7%), environmental hygiene (80.0%), and personal hygiene (79.7%). Three variables were significantly associated with awareness i.e. ANC booking timing (p<0.001), socioeconomic status (p=0.047), and current gestational age (p=0.034) while age, education, occupation, and gravidity were not significant. Conclusion: Focused health education, early ANC booking, and community-based interventions are suggested to augment maternal knowledge and encourage safer pregnancy outcomes.Background: Antenatal care (ANC) awareness is a key determinant of maternal and neonatal health outcomes, yet peri-urban populations in Pakistan, which combine urban and rural healthcare access patterns, remain underrepresented in the awareness literature. Objectives: To assess the level of ANC awareness among pregnant women attending a tertiary care public hospital in Shahdara, Lahore, and to evaluate the association between ANC awareness and socio-demographic and obstetric variables. Methods: An analytical, cross-sectional study was conducted among 300 pregnant women recruited by convenience sampling from the obstetrics and gynecology outpatient department. Awareness was assessed using a 20-item questionnaire (Cronbach's alpha ≥0.7) categorized as poor (<50%), moderate (50-75%), or good (≥75%) awareness. Fisher's exact test was used as the primary test of association between awareness and socio-demographic/obstetric variables, at α=0.05. Results: Of 299 women with valid data, most demonstrated good awareness (55.0%), 44.0% moderate, and 0.7% poor. Awareness was highest for exclusive breastfeeding (84.7%), environmental hygiene (80.0%), and personal hygiene (79.7%). Three variables were significantly associated with awareness i.e. ANC booking timing (p<0.001), socioeconomic status (p=0.047), and current gestational age (p=0.034) while age, education, occupation, and gravidity were not significant. Conclusion: Focused health education, early ANC booking, and community-based interventions are suggested to augment maternal knowledge and encourage safer pregnancy outcomes.