Skip to main content
Key Specialties
Cardiology Diabetology Endocrinology Gastroenterology Geriatrics and Gerontology Gynecology and Obstetrics Hematology Infectious Disease Internal Medicine Nephrology Neurology Oncology Pediatrics Respiratory Medicine Rheumatology Surgery
Congress Coverage
2024 ACC Congress 2023 ESMO Congress 2023 EASD Congress 2023 ERS Congress 2023 ESC Congress
Clinical Collections
Advances in Alzheimer’s

At a glance: The ONWARDS insulin icodec trials

A round-up of the ONWARDS phase 3 clinical trials evaluating the novel weekly insulin icodec in people with diabetes.
ADVANCED SEARCH
Log in
Top
BMC Public Health
Published in: BMC Public Health 1/2003

Open Access 01-12-2003 | Research article

Womens' opinions on antenatal care in developing countries: results of a study in Cuba, Thailand, Saudi Arabia and Argentina

Authors: Gustavo Nigenda, Ana Langer, Chusri Kuchaisit, Mariana Romero, Georgina Rojas, Muneera Al-Osimy, José Villar, Jo Garcia, Yagob Al-Mazrou, Hassan Ba'aqeel, Guillermo Carroli, Ubaldo Farnot, Pisake Lumbiganon, José Belizán, Per Bergsjo, Leiv Bakketeig, Gunilla Lindmark

Published in: BMC Public Health | Issue 1/2003

Login to get access

Abstract

Background

The results of a qualitative study carried out in four developing countries (Cuba, Thailand, Saudi Arabia and Argentina) are presented. The study was conducted in the context of a randomised controlled trial to test the benefits of a new antenatal care protocol that reduced the number of visits to the doctor, rationalised the application of technology, and improved the provision of information to women in relation to the traditional protocol applied in each country.

Methods

Through focus groups discussions we were able to assess the concepts and expectations underlying women's evaluation of concepts and experiences of the care received in antenatal care clinics. 164 women participated in 24 focus groups discussion in all countries.

Results

Three areas are particularly addressed in this paper: a) concepts about pregnancy and health care, b) experience with health services and health providers, and c) opinions about the modified Antenatal Care (ANC) programme. In all three topics similarities were identified as well as particular opinions related to country specific social and cultural values. In general women have a positive view of the new ANC protocol, particularly regarding the information they receive. However, controversial issues emerged such as the reduction in the number of visits, particularly in Cuba where women are used to have 18 ANC visits in one pregnancy period.

Conclusion

Recommendations to improve ANC services performance are being proposed. Any country interested in the application of a new ANC protocol should regard the opinion and acceptability of women towards changes.
Literature
1.
Villar J, Ba'aqeel H, Piaggio G, Lumbiganon P, Miguel Belizan J, Farnot U, Al-Mazrou Y, Carroli G, Pinol A, Donner A, Langer A, Nigenda G, Mugford M, Fox-Rushby J, Hutton G, Bergsjo P, Bakketeig L, Berendes H, Garcia J: WHO antenatal care randomised trial for the evaluation of a new model of routine antenatal care. Lancet. 2001, 357: 1551-1564. 10.1016/S0140-6736(00)04722-X.CrossRefPubMed
2.
Langer A, Villar J, Romero M, Nigenda G, Piaggio G, Kuchaisit C, Rojas G, Al-Osimi M, Miguel Belizan J, Farnot U, Al-Mazrou Y, Carroli G, Ba'aqeel H, Lumbiganon P, Pinol A, Bergsjo P, Bakketeig L, Garcia J, Berendes H: Are women and providers satisfied with antenatal care? Views on a standard and a simplified, evidence-based model of care in four developing countries. BMC Womens Health. 2002, 2: 7-10.1186/1472-6874-2-7.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral
3.
Ahrari M, Kuttab A, Khamis S, Farahat AA, Darmstadt GL, Marsh DR, Levinson FJ: Factors associated with successful pregnancy outcomes in upper Egypt: a positive deviance inquiry. Food Nutr Bull. 2002, 23: 83-88.CrossRefPubMed
4.
Bulatao RA, Ross JA: Rating maternal and neonatal health services in ddeveloping countries. Bull World Health Organ. 2002, 80: 721-727.PubMedPubMedCentral
5.
Hasan IJ, Nisar N: Womens' perceptions regarding obstetric complications and care in a poor fishing community in Karachi. J Pak Med Assoc. 2002, 52: 148-152.PubMed
6.
Clement S, Candy B, Sikorski J: Does reducing the frequency of routine antenatal visits have long term effects? Follow of participantes in a randomized controlled trial. Br J Obstet Gynaecol. 1999, 106: 367-370.CrossRefPubMed
7.
Morgan D, Krueger R: When to Use Focus Groups and Why. Successful Focus Groups. Advancing the State of the Arte. Edited by: Morgan D. 1993, Sage Focus Edition, 3-19.CrossRef
8.
Langer A, Nigenda G, Romero M, Rojas G, Kuchaisit C, al-Osimi M, Orozco E: Conceptual bases and methodology for the evaluation of women's and providers' perception of the quality of antenatal care in the WHO Antenatal Care Randomised Controlled Trial. Paediatr Perinat Epidemiol. 1998, 12 Suppl 2: 98-115. 10.1046/j.1365-3016.1998.00009.x.CrossRefPubMed
9.
Baldo MH, al-Mazrou YY, Farag MK, Aziz KM, Khan MU: Antenatal care, attitudes, and practices. J Trop Pediatr. 1995, 41 Suppl 1: 21-29.PubMed
10.
Seibold C, Miller M, Hall J: Midwives and women in partnership: the ideal and the real. Aust J Adv Nurs. 1999, 17: 21-27.PubMed
11.
Baston H: Midwifery basics. Antenatal care: the options available. Pract Midwife. 2002, 5: 10-13.PubMed
12.
Fletcher JC, Evans MI: Maternal bonding in early fetal ultrasound examinations. N Engl J Med. 1983, 308: 392-393.CrossRefPubMed
13.
Waldenstrom U, Axelsson O, Nilsson S, Eklund G, Fall O, Lindeberg S, Sjodin Y: Effects of routine one-stage ultrasound screening in pregnancy: a randomised controlled trial. Lancet. 1988, 2: 585-588. 10.1016/S0140-6736(88)90636-8.CrossRefPubMed
14.
Reid M, Garcia J: Women's view of care during pregnancy and childbirth. Effective care in pregnancy and childbirth. Edited by: Chalmers Iain, Enkin Murray and Keirse Marc J N C. 1989, Oxford ; New York, Oxford University Press, 2 v. (1516 p.)-
15.
Baldo MH, al-Mazrou YY, Aziz KM, Farag MK, al-Shehri SN: Coverage and quality of natal and postnatal care: women's perceptions, Saudi Arabia. J Trop Pediatr. 1995, 41 Suppl 1: 30-37.PubMed
16.
Al-Nasser AN, Bamgboye EA, Abdullah FA: Providing antenatal services in a primary health care system. J Community Health. 1994, 19: 115-123.CrossRefPubMed
17.
Graham H, Oakley A: Competing ideologies of reproduction: medical and maternal perspectives on pregnancy. Women, health, and reproduction. Edited by: Roberts Helen. 1981, London ; Boston, Routledge & Kegan Paul, xii, 196 p.-
18.
Kleinman Arthur: Patients and healers in the context of culture : an exploration of the borderland between anthropology, medicine, and psychiatry. Comparative studies of health systems and medical care ; no. 3. 1980, Berkeley, University of California Press, xvi, 427 p.-
19.
Good Byron: Medicine, rationality, and experience : an anthropological perspective. The Lewis Henry Morgan lectures ; 1990. 1994, Cambridge ; New York, Cambridge University Press, xvii, 242 p.-
20.
Helman Cecil: Culture, health, and illness : an introduction for health professionals. 1994, Oxford ; Boston, Butterworth-Heinemann, viii, 446 p.-3rd
21.
Airhihenbuwa Collins O.: Health and culture : beyond the Western paradigm. 1995, Thousand Oaks, Calif., Sage Publishers, xvi, 152 p.-
22.
Bruce J: Fundamental elements of the quality of care: a simple framework. Stud Fam Plann. 1990, 21: 61-91.CrossRefPubMed
23.
DeSantis L: Health care orientations of Cuban and Haitian immigrant mothers: implications for health care professionals. Med Anthropol. 1989, 12: 69-89.CrossRefPubMed
24.
Garcia J, Bricker L, Henderson J, Martin MA, Mugford M, Nielson J, Roberts T: Women's views of pregnancy ultrasound: a systematic review. Birth. 2002, 29: 225-250. 10.1046/j.1523-536X.2002.00198.x.CrossRefPubMed
25.
Zechmeister I: Foetal images: the power of visual technology in antenatal care and the implications for women's reproductive freedom. Health Care Anal. 2001, 9: 387-400. 10.1023/A:1013837511115.CrossRefPubMed
26.
Thorpe K, Harker L, Pike A, Marlow N: Women's views of ultrasonography. A comparison of women's experiences of antenatal ultrasound screening with cerebral ultrasound of their newborn infant. Soc Sci Med. 1993, 36: 311-315. 10.1016/0277-9536(93)90015-V.CrossRefPubMed
27.
O'Cathain A, Thomas K, Walters SJ, Nicholl J, Kirkham M: Women's perceptions of informed choice in maternity care. Midwifery. 2002, 18: 136-144. 10.1054/midw.2002.0301.CrossRefPubMed
Metadata
Title
Womens' opinions on antenatal care in developing countries: results of a study in Cuba, Thailand, Saudi Arabia and Argentina
Authors
Gustavo Nigenda
Ana Langer
Chusri Kuchaisit
Mariana Romero
Georgina Rojas
Muneera Al-Osimy
José Villar
Jo Garcia
Yagob Al-Mazrou
Hassan Ba'aqeel
Guillermo Carroli
Ubaldo Farnot
Pisake Lumbiganon
José Belizán
Per Bergsjo
Leiv Bakketeig
Gunilla Lindmark
Publication date
01-12-2003
Publisher
BioMed Central
Published in
BMC Public Health / Issue 1/2003
Electronic ISSN: 1471-2458
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2458-3-17

Other articles of this Issue 1/2003

BMC Public Health 1/2003 Go to the issue

Research article

The influence of calcium and magnesium in drinking water and diet on cardiovascular risk factors in individuals living in hard and soft water areas with differences in cardiovascular mortality

Debate

The new variant of the Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease accounts for no relative increase of the Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease mortality rate in the United Kingdom; this fits ill with the new variant being the consequence of consumption of food infected with the agent of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy

Research article

Current HIV/AIDS end-of-life care in sub-Saharan Africa: a survey of models, services, challenges and priorities

Research article

A summertime peak of "winter vomiting disease": Surveillance of noroviruses in England and Wales, 1995 to 2002

Research article

Health and economic impact of HIV/AIDS on South African households: a cohort study

Research article

Heterogeneity in regional notification patterns and its impact on aggregate national case notification data: the example of measles in Italy