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Knowledge and utilization of Integrated Child Development Services among antenatal women during COVID-19 pandemic
Taniyaa Cruz Ferdina1, Deepanchakravarthi Vellingiri2, N Sabari Raja1
1Government Thoothukudi Medical College, Tamil Nadu, India.
Insights
Antenatal care utilization of Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) decreased during the COVID-19 pandemic due to fear and lack of awareness. Government intervention is needed to ensure continuous maternal healthcare services.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Maternal Health
- Epidemiology
Background:
- The COVID-19 pandemic significantly disrupted healthcare systems globally.
- Antenatal women faced challenges accessing regular check-ups due to fear of infection and transportation issues.
- Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) play a crucial role in antenatal care but were impacted during the pandemic.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess antenatal women's knowledge and utilization of ICDS services during the COVID-19 pandemic.
- To identify factors influencing ICDS service knowledge and utilization among antenatal women.
- To determine barriers preventing antenatal women from utilizing ICDS services during the pandemic.
Main Methods:
- A descriptive study was conducted at a tertiary care center.
- 198 antenatal women were interviewed using a structured questionnaire during the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Data were analyzed using SPSS, with initial entry in Microsoft Excel.
Main Results:
- Approximately 61% of antenatal women possessed adequate knowledge of ICDS services.
- Utilization of ICDS services by antenatal women dropped from 87.8% to 69.6% during the pandemic.
- Fear of pathogen spread and lack of awareness were primary barriers to service utilization; follow-up by Anganwadi workers was minimal.
Conclusions:
- Antenatal women's utilization of ICDS services significantly declined during the COVID-19 pandemic.
- There is a need for government initiatives to ensure uninterrupted antenatal care during health crises.
- Addressing barriers like fear and lack of awareness is crucial for maintaining maternal health services.
Introduction:
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has affected the healthcare delivery system in both developed and developing countries. Many antenatal women skipped their regular antenatal check-ups due to fear of viral contamination and lack of transport facilities. Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS), which plays a major role in antenatal care, also suffered a great deal during the pandemic.
Objectives:
1. To assess knowledge and utilization of ICDS services by antenatal women during the COVID-19 pandemic. 2. To determine factors influencing the knowledge and utilization of ICDS services by antenatal women. 3. To determine the barriers to utilization of ICDS services during the pandemic.
Methodology:
This study was conducted as a descriptive study in a tertiary care center. Antenatal women whose pregnancy period coincided with the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic were interviewed using a structured questionnaire. The sample size was calculated as 198. Data were entered in Microsoft Excel and analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS).
Results:
Around 61% of the study population had adequate knowledge about ICDS services. The proportion of antenatal women utilizing ICDS services reduced from 87.8% to 69.6% during the pandemic. Only a few of the mothers were followed up by the Anganwadi workers during the pandemic. The main barriers to not utilizing ICDS services were fear of the spread of the pathogen and lack of awareness about the availability of services during the pandemic.
Conclusion:
There has been a reduction in the utilization of ICDS services by antenatal women during the COVID-19 pandemic. Measures should be taken by the government to ensure undisrupted care for antenatal women during such hard times.
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