Some factors affecting attendance at ante-natal clinics

The outcome of pregnancy may be improved by a woman's early and regular attendance at an ante-natal clinic. The objective of this study was to examine whether ‘satellite’ ante-natal clinics located in peripheral housing estates are able, by virtue of their location, to improve the attendance levels of the local residents as compared with the central hospital clinic. A comparison of the attendance records of four groups of women, two attending ‘satellite’ clinics and two attending the central clinic, indicates that distance to the clinic may be an important determinant of the level of attendance. The study further shows that the distance effect was small in comparison with three socio-cultural factors examined in the study—the employment status of the woman's husband, and the woman's age and parity, especially parity. The regularity of attendance exhibited a similar pattern of relationships with the studied factors as did the time to the first attendance though on a much reduced scale. It is possible that once contact is established the clinic exerts a certain amount of control on the woman's behaviour.