Exploring Empowerment in Group Antenatal Care: Insights from an Insider and Outsider Perspective

Background: Empowerment during pregnancy is linked to improved maternal and infant health outcomes and greater maternal well-being. Group Antenatal Care (GANC), a participant-centered model of care, promotes empowerment, active engagement, and the deconstruction of hierarchy between participants and care providers. It combines health assessment, interactive learning, and community building. While empowerment is a core concept of GANC, the ways it manifests and the elements that facilitate it remain unclear. Method: We conducted a generic qualitative study across four organizations in Brussels, using multiple data collection methods. This included interviews with 13 participants and 21 observations of GANC sessions, combining both the insider and outsider perspective. An adapted version of the Pregnancy-Related Empowerment Scale (PRES) guided the interviews guide and thematic analysis. Results: We identified seven themes that capture how empowerment occurs in GANC: peer connectedness, provider connectedness, skillful decision-making, responsibility, sense of control, taking action, and gaining voice. Several aspects of GANC contribute to empowerment, particularly the role of facilitators. Conclusions: This study highlights how GANC enhances empowerment during pregnancy through interpersonal, internal, and external processes. Important components within GANC that support this process include the group-based format and the interactive nature of the discussions. The presence of skillful GANC facilitators is an essential prerequisite. In a diverse and often vulnerable context like Brussels, strengthening empowerment through GANC presents challenges but is especially crucial.