title: Exploration of facilitators and barriers to prenatal care among military women.
abstract: Early and regular prenatal care has been shown to decrease the incidence of adverse pregnancy outcomes; however, little research has examined it experientially from the mother's perspective. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the experience of prenatal care from the military mother's perspective. Using purposive sampling, 16 women who had recently given birth were interviewed. The data were analyzed using a qualitative descriptive research methodology to elicit categories of substantive concepts, ideas, or themes. Data explored in this study included availability, use and satisfaction with prenatal care services, and barriers, preferences, and recommendations.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nursing Research, Graduate School of Nursing, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, 4301 Jones Bridge Rd, Bethesda, Maryland 20814, USA. bsylvia@usuhs.mil
authors.forename: B M
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Sylvia
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: McMullen
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Schmelz
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Runzel
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Stevens
authors.forename: H L
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Jackson
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D006297:Health Services Accessibility; D006801:Humans; D008889:Military Personnel / Q000523:psychology*; D009035:Mothers / Q000523:psychology; D009722:Nurse Practitioners / Q000458:organization & administration*; D015404:Nursing Methodology Research; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D011247:Pregnancy; D011295:Prenatal Care / Q000458:organization & administration*; D014481:United States