Assessing the accessibility and utilization of maternal and child health information by adolescent girls during pregnancy in the Ohangwena Region, Namibia: A cross-sectional study

Background: High teenage pregnancy and poor maternal outcomes amongst young mothers and their offspring have been reported in Namibia. Access to maternal and child health information (MCHI) can improve maternal outcomes. However, the level of accessibility and the utilization of MCHI in Namibia is not known. The main objective of this study is to assess the accessibility and utilization of MCHI by adolescent girls during pregnancy in the Ohangwena Region of Namibia. Method: We conducted a cross-sectional study among pregnant adolescent girls attending clinic visits and healthcare workers in four different health centres in Ohangwena Region in Namibia. We collected data using a structured questionnaire. We employed SPSS version 25 for data analysis. A descriptive analysis was used to analyse the data. A cross-tabulation model and the Pearson Chi-square model were used to determine the p-value. A multivariate regression logistic model was used to determine the association between different variables. Result: Overall, 64% of the participants had started their antenatal care (ANC) late in their 2nd trimester (4-6 months). In this study, 25.5% of the participants traveled a distance of over 15 km to access healthcare facilities. Also, it revealed that there was limited information provided on the importance of family planning and the tetanus toxoid vaccination. The findings also show that a majority (62% to 82.6%) of the participants did not receive MCHI through either leaflet, brochures, video clips, or posters. Lack of knowledge on MCHI and socio-demographic factors such as travel distance to facilities, and economic, religious, and social issues further contributed to the identified challenges. Conclusion: The study findings such as distance to nearest health facilities contribute limited information on maternal healthcare being provided. More research studies are required to explore strategies that may assist adolescent girls to access MCHI. This, in turn, will increase the utilization of maternal healthcare services such as ANC.