Abstract
Introduction Vulnerable pregnant women (e.g. women with low socio-economic status or recent immigrants) are less likely to receive adequate prenatal care or to attend perinatal education classes. CenteringPregnancy (CP) is a model of group prenatal care which combines assessment, education and support. This study aimed to assess patient experience among vulnerable women in group prenatal care compared to individual care. Methods Women participating in CP at a community-based health centre in urban Alberta were eligible to participate. A convenience sample of women who received individual care at a low-risk maternity clinic served as comparison. Women were asked a series of questions on their prenatal care experience. Demographic and patient responses were compared using Chi square, fisher’s exact and t tests. Results Forty-five women accessing CP and 92 women accessing individual care participated. Women in CP were younger, more likely to be single and having their first baby than women in individual care. Women in CP were significantly more likely to report having received enough information on exercise during pregnancy (92 vs. 66%, p = 0.002), breastfeeding (95 vs. 70%, p = 0.002) and baby care (95 vs. 67%, p = 0.001). Women in CP were more likely to report that they felt their prenatal care providers were interested in how the pregnancy was affecting their life (100 vs. 93%, p ≤ 0.001). Discussion Group prenatal care provides a positive experience and improved information exchange among vulnerable populations. Programs interested in engaging, educating and empowering vulnerable pregnant women may benefit from implementation of group care.
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Acknowledgements
We would like to thank all the women who participated in this study, as well as the staff and care providers at the health centers where the study took place. EH receives scholarship support from the Canadian Institutes for Health Research Vanier Scholarship, Alberta Innovates Health Solutions and the University of Calgary. AM is supported by a New Investigator Award from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR). Funding for this study was provided by Alberta Health. The funders did not have any role in the study design, data collection, data analysis, manuscript preparation and/or publication decision. The interpretation and conclusions contained herein are those of the researchers and do not necessarily represent the views of the Government of Alberta. Neither the Government nor Alberta Health expresses any opinion in relation to this study.
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Hetherington, E., Tough, S., McNeil, D. et al. Vulnerable Women’s Perceptions of Individual Versus Group Prenatal Care: Results of a Cross-Sectional Survey. Matern Child Health J 22, 1632–1638 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10995-018-2559-1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10995-018-2559-1