Influence of provision of ofsp vines to pregnant women on completion of anc visits in health facilities in rachuonyo south Sub-County, Kenya

Rural women do not seriously consider antenatal care yet it is a prerequisite for safe motherhood. In anticipation of encouraging ANC practice among the pregnant women, most healthcare facilities in Rachuonyo South sub-county are giving expectant mothers during their prenatal visits, Lactating women and children under five years vouchers Orange Fleshed Sweet Potatoes (OFSP) vines to grow their own tubers for nutrition purposes. The purpose of the study is to investigate the effects of provision of orange-fleshed sweet potato (OFSP) vines on antenatal care visits among women visiting health facilities in Rachuonyo South sub-county, Homabay count, Kenya. The study used causal-comparative design otherwise known as Ex post facto design. The sample size was 132 women receiving or have received Orange fleshed sweet potatoes during their ANC visits at the public health facilities in Rachuonyo south sub-county. The researcher used questionnaires, interviews schedules and observation checklist to collect qualitative data. The data was analyzed using descriptive statistics using SPSS version 22. The study found that provision of OFSP encouraged the number of pregnant women attending the ANC clinic. Majority of the pregnant mothers had not skipped the ANC visit, implying that pregnant mothers of Rachuonyo South had good adherence to ANC practices. Most of the pregnant women receiving the OFSP had higher frequency of ANC visit. The study concluded high frequency of ANC visits was influenced by the provision of the OFSP at the health facility. The study recommended that the program of provision of OFSP should be rolled out in all the public health care facilities across the county to encourage ANC visit among the pregnant women. Healthcare policy makers should design policies that encourage adequate OFSP in all public health facilities offering ANC services. The ministry of agriculture and the policy makers in the ministry of health should design strategies that would encourage planting of this crop at the household level so that it can benefit all the households.