Title: Individual and community level determinants of delayed antenatal care initiation in Ethiopia: A multilevel analysis of the 2019 Ethiopian Mini Demographic Health Survey. Author: Alemu AA; Zeleke LB; Jember DA; Kassa GM; Khajehei M Journal: PLoS One; 2024; 19(5):e0300750. PubMed ID: 38753694 [TBL]: Women with no education (AOR = 2.1; 95% CI: 1.4, 3.0), poorest wealth status (AOR = 1.9; 95% CI: 1.3, 2.8), from the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples (SNNP) region (AOR = 2.1; 95% CI: 1.3, 3.3), and those who gave birth at home (AOR = 1.4; 95% CI: 1.1, 1.7) were more likely to delay ANC initiation.CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of delayed ANC initiation in Ethiopia was high. Enhancing mothers' education, empowering them through economic initiatives, improving their health-seeking behavior towards facility delivery, and universally reinforcing standardized ANC, along with collaborating with the existing local community structure to disseminate health information, are recommended measures to reduce delayed ANC initiation.
