Knowledeges and experiences of pregnant women on prenatal care programs of a subsidized health care company from the Caribbean region of Colombia: a qualitative analysis

Abstract

Objectives: Prenatal care programs have been conceived to reduce maternal and perinatal mortality risk. However, some pregnant women arrive late or do not attend the program, thus, health risks associated with pregnancy increases considerably. The objective of this study was to know pregnant women perceptions about a prenatal care program that include two components: health services and educational advice. Methods: A randomized sample of 33 women was chosen. Inclusion criteria considered women between 30 and 32 gestation weeks of pregnancy and living in the urban area. Data was collected using the focus group technique. For the analysis, we used the following protocol: Literal transcription of oral speech, information coding and integration, and data triangulation. Qualitative analysis with textual data was conducted with Quanteda package in R statistical software. Results: Important differences were found by geographic zones. In the city, pregnant women associate the program mainly with health services, while women living in town area associate the program with the educational component. Also, in the city the first contact with the program was by the prenatal care appointment, while in town was through the educational agents from the health care company. The program is valued in special form by women with high risk pregnancy and first-time mothers like a mechanism to guarantee their wellbeing and the baby’s. On the other hand, women that planned their pregnancy, began early prenatal check-ups than those who did not planned it. Conclusions: In the design of prenatal care programs sociocultural differences of communities to which they target as well as the perceptions, realities, and motivations of pregnant women must be considered. This would allow having better results in maternal and perinatal health and public health as a result of a more comprehensive intervention