This paper investigates the antenatal care (ANC) services utilization in currently pregnant women during their visits to maternal and child health (MCH) clinics of rural (Kinabatangan) and urban (Sandakan), Sabah. A community clinic based, cross-sectional descriptive study was performed. In total, 800 currently pregnant women attending two MCH clinics, from April to September 2012, were participated using tested set questionnaires. Descriptive analysis was used for background characteristics and chi-square analysis was applied to identify the rural-urban differences among the variables.In both study areas, previous births delivered by skilled birth personnel were same. In pregnant women from rural, less income, more grand-multiparity, earlier antenatal care booking, more frequent post-natal care, more use of contraception compared to those in urban. In comparison, urban pregnant women had more anti-tetanus toxoid injection in their previous pregnancies, past history of antenatal care for at least four times, increase in household members. As this study found the differences in ANC services utilization at Rural and Urban, further study is needed to explore concrete reasons for above findings. By delivering services according to the needs of all clients, irrespective of their place of residence, it will improve ANC services utilization in both areas of Sabah and hence will improve more on existing health status of the Nation.
Study site: Klinik Kesihatan, Kinabatangan and Sandakan, Sabah, Malaysia