title: Exploring Group Composition among Young, Urban Women of Color in Prenatal Care: Implications for Satisfaction, Engagement, and Group Attendance.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Group models of prenatal care continue to grow in popularity. However, little is known about how group composition (similarity or diversity between members of groups) relates to care-related outcomes. The current investigation aimed to explore associations between prenatal care group composition with patient satisfaction, engagement, and group attendance among young, urban women of color.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data were drawn from two studies conducted in New Haven and Atlanta (2001-2004; n = 557) and New York City (2008-2011; n = 375) designed to evaluate group prenatal care among young, urban women of color. Women aged 14 to 25 were assigned to group prenatal care and completed surveys during their second and third trimesters of pregnancy. Group attendance was recorded. Data were merged and analyzed guided by the Group Actor-Partner Interdependence Model using multilevel regression. Analyses explored composition in terms of age, race, ethnicity, and language.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Women in groups with others more diverse in age reported greater patient engagement and, in turn, attended more group sessions, b(se) = -0.01(0.01); p = .04.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The composition of prenatal care groups seems to be associated with young women's engagement in care, ultimately relating to the number of group prenatal care sessions they attend. Creating groups diverse in age may be particularly beneficial for young, urban women of color, who have unique pregnancy needs and experiences. Future research is needed to test the generalizability of these exploratory findings.
authors.affiliation: Division of General Pediatrics, Department of Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts; Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts. Electronic address: valerie.earnshaw@childrens.harvard.edu.
authors.forename: Valerie A
authors.initials: VA
authors.lastname: Earnshaw
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Pace University, New York, New York.
authors.forename: Lisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Rosenthal
authors.affiliation: Division of Social and Behavioral Sciences, School of Public Health, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut.
authors.forename: Shayna D
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Cunningham
authors.affiliation: Division of Social and Behavioral Sciences, School of Public Health, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut.
authors.forename: Trace
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kershaw
authors.affiliation: Division of Social and Behavioral Sciences, School of Public Health, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut.
authors.forename: Jessica
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lewis
authors.affiliation: Centering Healthcare Institute, Boston, Massachusetts.
authors.forename: Sharon Schindler
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Rising
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Drexel University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
authors.forename: Emily
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Stasko
authors.affiliation: Clinical Directors Network, New York, New York; Department of Epidemiology and Population Health, Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University, Bronx, New York.
authors.forename: Jonathan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Tobin
authors.affiliation: Division of Social and Behavioral Sciences, School of Public Health, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut.
authors.forename: Jeannette R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Ickovics
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D005006:Ethnicity / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006126:Group Processes; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D009519:New York City; D010349:Patient Compliance; D010358:Patient Participation; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D011247:Pregnancy; D037841:Pregnant People / Q000208:ethnology / Q000523:psychology*; D011295:Prenatal Care / Q000379:methods* / Q000523:psychology; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014505:Urban Population; D055815:Young Adult