{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,26]],"date-time":"2026-08-26T06:29:42Z","timestamp":1787725782868,"version":"build-2784847793"},"reference-count":31,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,26]],"date-time":"2026-08-26T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1787702400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["frontiersin.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Front. Public Health"],"abstract":"<jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Background<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Nigeria bears the highest burden of maternal mortality globally, with marked urban\u2013rural disparities. Rural women have significantly lower uptake of skilled antenatal care (60.7% vs. 91.8%) and facility-based delivery (48.5% vs. 81.3%). However, comparative data on maternal knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) remain limited in northern Nigeria. This study compared maternal healthcare KAP between urban and rural women and identified predictors of good outcomes.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>\n                      A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted in Abuja (urban) and Gombe State (rural) from June to July 2025. Women aged 15\u201349\u202fyears with a live birth in the preceding 12\u202fmonths were included. Multi-stage stratified cluster sampling selected 1,218 women, yielding a final analytical sample of 1,045 (606 urban, 439 rural). A pre-tested interviewer-administered questionnaire assessed maternal knowledge (15 items,\n                      <jats:italic>\u03b1<\/jats:italic>\n                      \u202f=\u202f0.84), attitudes (11 Likert items,\n                      <jats:italic>\u03b1<\/jats:italic>\n                      \u202f=\u202f0.88), and practices (14 items,\n                      <jats:italic>\u03b1<\/jats:italic>\n                      \u202f=\u202f0.81). Chi-square tests compared urban\u2013rural differences. Hierarchical multivariable logistic regression, guided by the Social Ecological Model, identified predictors of good knowledge, positive attitude, and good practice, with variables entered in blocks according to SEM levels.\n                    <\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>\n                      Urban women had significantly higher proportions of good knowledge (66.3% vs. 25.5%,\n                      <jats:italic>p<\/jats:italic>\n                      \u202f&amp;lt;\u202f0.001), positive attitudes (87.1% vs. 51.9%,\n                      <jats:italic>p<\/jats:italic>\n                      \u202f&amp;lt;\u202f0.001), and good practices (57.8% vs. 23.9%,\n                      <jats:italic>p<\/jats:italic>\n                      \u202f&amp;lt;\u202f0.001). Urban residence independently predicted good knowledge (AOR\u202f=\u202f3.84, 95% CI: 2.67\u20135.53), positive attitude (AOR\u202f=\u202f3.41, 95% CI: 2.38\u20134.89), and good practice (AOR\u202f=\u202f2.84, 95% CI: 1.97\u20134.09). Secondary\/tertiary education (AORs: 3.16, 2.11, 1.88) and higher income (AORs: 1.72, 1.54, 1.57) were consistent predictors. Good knowledge strongly predicted positive attitude (AOR\u202f=\u202f4.28) and good practice (AOR\u202f=\u202f3.91). Perceived affordability (knowledge AOR\u202f=\u202f1.68; practice AOR\u202f=\u202f1.81) and feeling safe at health facilities (knowledge AOR\u202f=\u202f1.52; attitude AOR\u202f=\u202f1.72) were significant predictors; respectful healthcare workers predicted attitude (AOR\u202f=\u202f1.97) and practice (AOR\u202f=\u202f1.69).\n                    <\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Conclusion<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Substantial urban\u2013rural gaps in maternal KAP persist, driven by education, income, and health system factors. Interventions that promote girls\u2019 education, deliver targeted community health education, improve affordability and safety of maternal services, and strengthen respectful maternity care may reduce disparities in rural Nigeria.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.3389\/fpubh.2026.1909190","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,26]],"date-time":"2026-08-26T06:03:04Z","timestamp":1787724184000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Urban\u2013rural disparities in maternal healthcare knowledge, attitudes, and practices among women with a recent live birth in Abuja and Gombe states, Nigeria"],"prefix":"10.3389","volume":"14","author":[{"given":"Chinelo Lynda","family":"Okoye","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Health Promotion and Community Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, American University of Beirut","place":["Beirut, Lebanon"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Precious Ojo","family":"Uahomo","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Faculty of Basic Clinical Sciences, University of Abuja","place":["Gwagwalada, Nigeria"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Chinasa Godsgift","family":"Eni","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Public Health, University of Port Harcourt","place":["Nigeria"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Korfii","family":"Uebari","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Public Health, University of Port Harcourt","place":["Nigeria"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Chidi Emmanuel","family":"Ezerioha","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, Southern Delta University","place":["Ozoro, Nigeria"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Sussana Chinemerem","family":"Oguaba","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Human Nutrition and Dietetics, University of Calabar","place":["Calabar, Nigeria"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Naomi Akpevwe","family":"Mogborukor","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Experimental Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Port Harcourt","place":["Choba, Nigeria"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Umar","family":"Abubakar","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Public Health, Faculty of Basic and Applied Biological Sciences, Ahmadu Bello University","place":["Zaria, Nigeria"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Asemebo Goodness","family":"Okorosa","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Tropical Institute of Public Health","place":["Abuja, Nigeria"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Oluwaseun","family":"Fadeyi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Centre for Environmental Management, University of the Free State","place":["Bloemfontein, South Africa"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1965","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,26]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref1","volume-title":"Trends in Maternal Mortality Estimates 2000 to 2023","year":"2025"},{"key":"ref2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"e081659","DOI":"10.1136\/bmjopen-2023-081659","article-title":"Maternal healthcare service utilisation and associated factors among mothers in rural Wolaita, southern Ethiopia: a community-based cross-sectional study","volume":"15","author":"Kumma","year":"2025","journal-title":"BMJ Open"},{"key":"ref3","year":"2024"},{"key":"ref4","first-page":"185","article-title":"An empirical assessment of socio-economic determinants of 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