title: The effect of prenatal education curriculum on mother's prenatal examination utilization, delivery mode and recovery status: a cross-sectional survey in China.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine the participation, implementation, and effect of the prenatal education curriculum provided by hospitals in China, and to provide evidence for the improvement of prenatal education.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional survey was conducted in the hospitals in Hunan Province, China. Mothers aged 20-45 years who had given birth between 1 May 2011 and 1 May 2012 and not diagnosed with pregnancy-related complications were invited to participate in the study. A self-administered, structured questionnaire was used to examine the effect of prenatal education curriculum on prenatal examination utilization, delivery mode, and recovery status from delivery.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Among the total 604 respondents, only 175 (29.1 %) surveyed mothers participated in prenatal education curriculum provided by hospitals during their latest delivery. These mothers had a higher rate of attending all the required prenatal examinations (57.9 vs. 48.3 %), and a higher rate of recovering very well and well (80 vs. 73.7 %) from the latest delivery, than those who did not participate in prenatal education curriculum (P < 0.05). However, there was no statistical difference in the delivery mode between mothers who participated and those who did not participate in the prenatal education curriculum provided by hospitals.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Prenatal education is indispensable for the improvement of maternal and child health, and thus should be advocated. In China, a standard and convenient specification prenatal education curriculum provided by hospitals and their doctors is appropriated for providing prenatal education to pregnant women.
authors.affiliation: Department of Social Medicine and Health Education, School of Public Health, Peking University, Beijing, 100191, China.
authors.forename: Yuhui
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Shi
authors.affiliation: Research School of Population Health, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia.
authors.forename: Dongxu
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Center for Policy Research and Health Communication, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, 102206, China.
authors.forename: Yanfei
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yuan
authors.affiliation: Department of Social Medicine and Health Education, School of Public Health, Peking University, Beijing, 100191, China.
authors.forename: Ying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.affiliation: Department of Social Medicine and Health Education, School of Public Health, Peking University, Beijing, 100191, China.
authors.forename: Qingqi
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Zeng
authors.affiliation: Department of Social Medicine and Health Education, School of Public Health, Peking University, Beijing, 100191, China. changchun@bjmu.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Chun
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Chang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002681:China; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003479:Curriculum; D005260:Female; D006761:Hospitals; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009035:Mothers; D011247:Pregnancy; D011295:Prenatal Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D064186:Prenatal Education / Q000592:standards* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: China; Curriculum; Effect; Prenatal education