553 - The Relation of Number of Antenatal Care Visits Attended and Distance Traveled to Hospital from 2019-2022 in Gujarat, India

Poster Number: 553
Publication Number: 553.41

Brandon Tomlin, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT, United States; Gaurav Kansara, Dr. Kiran C. Patel Medical college, Bharuch, Gujarat, India, Bharuch, Gujarat, India; Nirav Patel, WillisKnighton South and the Center for Womens and Childrens Health, Vadodara, Gujarat, India; Allison Judkins, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT, United States

Background: The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends a minimum of four antenatal care (ANC) visits in order to reduce maternal mortality. Many women in Gujarat, India are unable to attend sufficient ANC visits. In Gujarat at the CA Patel Hospital and Community Health Centre (CHC), health workers travel to women's villages for the first appointment, however the women have to travel to Moto Fofalia for subsequent visits.

Objective: To determine the impact that distance required to travel has on the number of ANC visits of women from various villages in Gujarat can attend.

Design/Methods: This observational study took place at CHC located in Mota Fofalia, a village in rural Gujarat, India as part of a comprehensive QI initiative to improve the hospital’s community outreach and ANC program. We abstracted data from ANC medical records collected by a designated team during field visits in 89 villages between 2019 to 2022. Villages with similarly spelled names were considered the same. Villages were excluded if there were no pregnant women requiring ANC. The distance of the village from the hospital was calculated using Google Maps

Results: A total of 7 talukas with 89 villages were evaluated with 750 total patients, 1,139 visits, and an average of 1.32 ANC visits per patient. The median distance required to travel was 10.6km with the ranges from 0km (in same village as hospital) to 530km. Only 13 women (1.7%) attended the recommended 4 ANC visits, and they were all from Sinor, the hospital's Taluka. The number of ANC visits was graphed based on distance from hospital. Linear regression showed no significant correlation between distance from hospital and number of ANC visits (R2=0.0012, p=0.34)

Conclusion(s): A vast minority of women are attending the recommended 4 ANC visits in pregnancy in Gujarat, India. While the taluka the hospital is located in had the highest number of women completing the recommended ANC visits, linear regression showed no significant correlation between distance to hospital and number of ANC visits attended.