FACTORS RELATED TO ANTENATAL CLINIC CHOICE AND REPORTED ACTIVITIES OFANTENATAL CARE CLINICS BY PREGNANT-WOMEN IN GULELE DISTRICT, ADDIS-ABEBA

Two-hundred-seventy pregnant women in the third trimester in 24 kebele s of Gulele district, Addis Abeba were included in the study to assess the factors associated with the choice of antenatal care (ANC) clinic s and the women's views concerning activities at antenatal care clinic s. Questionnaire were administered to pregnant women at their homes by trained assistants. Majority of the respondents attended ANC in a hea lth station and the most frequent reason for choice of place of attend ance was closeness of health institution to which the pregnant woman l ives followed by little or no expenses for antenatal care. One fourth of the women attending antenatal care said that health education is ne ver given at the health institution where they attend antenatal care. About 80% of the attendants reported that their blood pressure was alw ays taken. Blood examinations were said to have been performed for 85. 6% of the attendants and 74.1% said their urine was checked. We recomm end that activities of ANC clinics be assessed thoroughly by different methods and well designed studies addressing the effect of ANC attend ance on pregnancy outcome. Refresher courses for health workers on hea lth education and maternal and child health are suggested.