title: Women's perceptions of antenatal care: are we following guideline recommended care?
abstract: Detection and management of antenatal risk factors is critical for improved maternal and infant outcomes. This study describes the proportion of pregnant women who self-reported being screened for and offered advice to manage antenatal risk factors in line with antenatal care recommendations; and the characteristics associated with rates of screening.
  
  
  
  A survey was undertaken with 223 (64 % of eligible) pregnant women recruited from an outpatient obstetrics clinic at a public hospital. Participants self-reported whether they were: (i) screened for 23 guideline-recommended risk factors during their antenatal visit; (ii) offered assistance to manage identified risk factor(s); and (iii) received assistance that was of benefit. Association between rate of screening and participant characteristics was examined using multivariate quantile regression.
  
  
  
  Overall, 23 % of women reported that they were asked about every risk factor. Weight gain (48 %), diet (60 %) and oral health (31 %) were least frequently screened risk factors. The number of women who reported they were offered advice to manage identified risks and the value of that advice was perceived by women as suboptimal. Those women receiving shared care between a midwife and general practitioner, of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander descent, and without private health insurance reported being screened for a greater number of risk factors.
  
  
  
  Pregnant women report suboptimal rates of screening and management of antenatal risk factors. Initiatives to improve consistency in detection of antenatal risk factors and the application of appropriate interventions to manage those risk factors that are detected are required.
authors.affiliation: Priority Research Centre for Health Behaviour, University of Newcastle & Hunter Medical Research Institute, HMRI Building, Callaghan, NSW, 2308, Australia. amy.waller@newcastle.edu.au.|School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, Australia. amy.waller@newcastle.edu.au.
authors.forename: Amy
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Waller
authors.affiliation: Priority Research Centre for Health Behaviour, University of Newcastle & Hunter Medical Research Institute, HMRI Building, Callaghan, NSW, 2308, Australia.|School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, Australia.
authors.forename: Jamie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bryant
authors.affiliation: Priority Research Centre for Health Behaviour, University of Newcastle & Hunter Medical Research Institute, HMRI Building, Callaghan, NSW, 2308, Australia.|School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, Australia.
authors.forename: Emilie
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Cameron
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Hunter New England Local Health District, Newcastle, NSW, Australia.|Priority Research Centre for Reproductive Science, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, Australia.
authors.forename: Mohamed
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Galal
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Hunter New England Local Health District, Newcastle, NSW, Australia.
authors.forename: Juliana
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Quay
authors.affiliation: Priority Research Centre for Health Behaviour, University of Newcastle & Hunter Medical Research Institute, HMRI Building, Callaghan, NSW, 2308, Australia.|School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, Australia.
authors.forename: Rob
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sanson-Fisher
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D037841:Pregnant People / Q000523:psychology*; D011295:Prenatal Care / Q000523:psychology* / Q000592:standards; D011296:Prenatal Diagnosis / Q000523:psychology*; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012307:Risk Factors; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Antenatal; Guidelines; Implementation; Pregnancy; Screening