Analysis of antenatal care and its related factors among married Chinese women.

The objective was to explore the related factors of antenatal care. The data derived from National Demography and Reproductive Health Survey in 1997 conducted by National Population and Family Planning Commission. 11 892 women who had given birth to at least one survival child were involved in this study. SAS software was used in multivariate analysis. The average rate of general antenatal care is 57.3% and has increased dramatically in the recent 30 years. The major reason why most subjects didnt have antenatal care was lacking the recognition of the importance of antenatal care. The antenatal care was associated with residence in rural area or urban area age educational level parity of the last birth local average income distance between home and township in rural area and so on. Women of childbearing age need to improve their health knowledge; the government should increase the availability of antenatal care. (authors)