Patient-Provider Prenatal Nutrition Conversations Using a Human Factors Approach

Area of Science:

• Obstetrics and Gynecology
• Nutrition Science
• Health Services Research

Background:

• Patient-provider communication during prenatal care is essential for establishing healthy dietary habits.
• Understanding the dynamics of nutrition conversations in initial prenatal visits is key to identifying areas for improvement.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the nature of patient-provider nutrition conversations during initial prenatal visits.
• To identify factors influencing the quality and content of these discussions.

Main Methods:

• Convergent mixed methods observational study involving 16 providers and 20 pregnant women across two midwestern clinics.
• Utilized observations, audio recordings, surveys, and interviews, analyzed using quantitative descriptive statistics and qualitative thematic analysis within the SEIPS 2.0 framework.

Main Results:

• Nutrition was discussed in all visits, but conversations were predominantly provider-centered, offering general advice on limited topics.
• Few individualized, collaborative discussions occurred that addressed patients' unique contextual factors and social determinants of health.

Conclusions:

• Optimizing maternal nutrition requires patient-centered conversations that incorporate contextual factors and social determinants of health.
• Multidisciplinary teams, including nurse practitioners, nurses, obstetricians, and registered dietitians, are needed to address these complex factors effectively.