Attitude Towards Midwives and Utilization of Antenatal Care by Pregnant Women in Utan Community Attending Selected Health Centres in Jos North L.G.A.

Background: Antenatal care (ANC) is essential for promoting the health and well-being of mothers and their babies. Despite ongoing global efforts, ANC uptake remains below optimal levels in many parts of Nigeria. This study assessed the attitudes of pregnant women toward midwives and how these attitudes influence their use of ANC services in the Utan community, attending selected health centres in Jos North Local Government Area, Plateau State. A descriptive cross-sectional survey was carried out among 73 pregnant women aged 18 years and above. A structured questionnaire was used to collect from the participants who were selected through a multistage random sampling by first stratifying them into separate streets and using simple balloting to select a proportionate sample from each stratum, and the collected data were analyzed using SPSS version 27 at significant level of 0.05. Findings showed that most women expressed positive attitudes toward midwives, with 72.6% strongly agreeing that professional competence was the most important factor influencing their perception. ANC utilization was generally encouraging: 42.5% strongly agreed that they attended appointments regularly, and 41.1% reported that they consistently followed advice from midwives and attended routine health checks. Access to necessary tests and screenings was confirmed by 37.0% of respondents. However, only 23.3% strongly agreed that the ANC services they received fully met their needs, indicating gaps in service adequacy. Economic challenges (54%), transportation difficulties (57%), and long distances to health facilities (41%) were identified as major barriers to ANC utilization. There was no significant relationship between attitudes toward midwives and ANC use (X2 (Exact Test) = 2.749, df= 2, p= 0.239). Though pregnant women in the Utan community had a positive view towards midwives, financial and logistic barriers hinder their ANC attendance. There should be an Improved ANC services, expanded access, and an improved maternal health outcome at community level.