Résumé
To determine the current use of prenatal care [PNC] service provision by pregnant rural women in northwest of Pakistan and to explore factors influencing the uptake of such health service in a rural area. In this cross-sectional survey, a random sample of 121 married women ages 15 to 41, were interviewed regarding PNC service uptake during their current or most recent last pregnancy in village Sarbund between September 1998 and February 1999. Younger women were more likely to use PNC service as compared to older women [OR= 0.03, P= <0.01]. Infant and neonatal mortality were inversely proportional to the PNC utilization as women who had not used PNC services in the past had significantly high infant and neonatal deaths than those who had used PNC [OR = 0.29, P = <0.01, and OR = 0.23, P= <0.01 respectively]. Wives of husbands having white-collar jobs were more likely to receive PNC than wives of husbands having blue-collar jobs [OR = 0.05, P = <0.01]. Women with high household income used PNC service more than women with poor household income [OR=12.9, P= <0.01]. Women living in pucca-houses were more likely to use PNC service than women living in kacha-houses [OR = 0.08, P= < 0.01]. Our study has shown a low utilization of PNC service in rural northwest of Pakistan particularly associated with low socio-economic status