DECISION MAKING AUTHORITY AND ITS INFLUENCE ON INSTITUTIONAL ANTENATAL CARE AMONG MARRIED WOMEN: A CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY CONDUCTED IN KHYBER PAKHTUNKHWA

Abstract

Sociologists argue that maternal health care and its complications are socially and culturally constructed. In patriarchal structure of societies decision making authority influences the use of institutional antenatal care. According to Pakistan Demographic and health Survey, in Pakistan 49% of pregnant women lad less than standard antenatal care visits. In the present study, the decision-making authority is explained in association with antenatal care in district Buner, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. In the present study quantitative research design with simple random sampling techniques was applied and data was collected through interview schedule in household survey. A sample of 470 married women having current pregnancy and delivered in last 12 months is randomly selected for the study. The results explained that more than 50 percent respondents have no knowledge of standard antenatal care services and 33.6 percent married women stay in home during antenatal care in the study period. The study was conducted in 2022. The study described that 76 percent of men family members take the decision of girl’s mate selection and 45 percent women’s husband decide the women public sphere mobility in the study locale. The study concluded that men’s decision-making influence the women public sphere mobility and due to men’s authority, women are restricted to domestic sphere during pregnancy. It is also concluded that women’s access and use of institutional antenatal care is discouraged in Pakhtun society. The study recommends engaging men community members as change agent in the social sphere to encourage women use of institutional antenatal care in patriarchal structure of society.

Keywords: Women, Antenatal Care, Decision Making, Men, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.