Group antenatal care: new pedagogic method for antenatal care--a pilot study.
OBJECTIVE
to investigate how women who attended group antenatal care experienced the information they received, compared with women who attended traditional antenatal care, and their satisfaction with the form of care. The aim was also to determine the effect of group antenatal care on women's social networks compared with traditional antenatal care.


METHODS
a pilot study with an intervention group (group antenatal care) and a control group (traditional antenatal care). Both groups were selected through informed choice. A questionnaire and a follow-up telephone call, using a structured questionnaire, were used to evaluate both groups.


METHODS
for each woman who had chosen to be in the intervention group, two women who had chosen traditional antenatal care were selected from the same antenatal clinic and given the same questionnaire.


RESULTS
35/45 (77%) women in the intervention group returned a completed questionnaire, compared with 40/85 (48%) women in the control group. There was little difference in satisfaction with information between the two groups, and overall satisfaction was high.


CONCLUSIONS
at six months post partum, the women who attended group antenatal care still met others from the group more regularly than the women who attended traditional antenatal care.


CONCLUSIONS
group antenatal care is well accepted by women, and can better utilise midwives' time.
Wedin
Kathe
K
Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University Hospital MAS, SE 205 02 Malmö, Sweden.
Molin
Johan
J
Crang Svalenius
Elizabeth L
EL
D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006126:Group Processes; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008880:Midwifery / Q000379:methods; D009035:Mothers / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D009723:Nurse-Patient Relations; D015403:Nursing Evaluation Research; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011247:Pregnancy; D011295:Prenatal Care / Q000379:methods*; D015397:Program Evaluation; D012944:Social Support; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult