Determinants of late antenatal care follow up among pregnant women in Easter zone Tigray, Northern Ethiopia, 2018: unmatched case–control study

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of the study was to identify determinants of late antennal care at first visit in health facilities of eastern zone of Tigray, Northern Ethiopia 2018. RESULT: Women with unplanned pregnancy (AOR = 4.03, 95%, CI 1.56–5.67), Participants whose previous first antenatal care was after 16 weeks (AOR = 3.9, 95% CI 1.98–7.68), Participants did not accompanied by their partner for antenatal visit (AOR = 1.29, 95%, CI 1.05–4.67), women recognized their current pregnancy at 3 months or late (AOR = 4.7, 95%, CI 2.49–9.04) and participants provided adequate time for their previous antenatal care by health professionals (AOR = 0.461, 95% CI 0.342–0.875) were found the determinant factors of late antenatal care at first Visit. Hence family planning utilization, times of first visit antenatal, information flow and supporting by partners have a great role in improving antenatal care at first visit. There for responsible bodies should give focuses on utilization of family planning, increasing awareness of pregnancy symptoms and health provisional provide adequate time during visits.