Factors associated with maternal health knowledge through community-based antenatal care program among pregnant women in rural Paraguay

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Objectives : To evaluate the level of maternal health knowledge among rural women in different types of health facilities and regions with rich and poor clinical resources.
Methods : Structured interviews were conducted to evaluate the maternal health knowledge of pregnant women during their first, second, and third antenatal care (ANC) visits in Guairá Region and Caazapá Region, Paraguay. The associations of individual maternal health knowledge score and its gains with their sociodemographic characteristics, type of health facility chosen to receive ANC, and region were examined by repeated-measures analysis of variance.
Results : Women who visited hospital for ANC showed a significant predominance of those≥20 years old and with higher educational status (e.g., completed elementary school). On the other hand, women who visited a health post for ANC were higher among multipara. Factors associated with higher maternal health knowledge score were being from Caazapá Region and having visited a hospital for ANC.
Conclusions : Health care providers should be socially sensitive, and take into account such factors as age group (and generation), educational status and literacy level, and availability and affordability of resources to provide universal access to maternal health care services.