Patient Characteristics Associated With Group Prenatal Care Attendance in a Randomized Controlled Trial.

Area of Science:

• Maternal Health
• Public Health
• Healthcare Delivery

Background:

• Group prenatal care (GPNC) is an alternative to individual prenatal care (IPNC) with potential for improved perinatal outcomes.
• Higher attendance in GPNC sessions is linked to better perinatal results.
• Understanding patient characteristics associated with GPNC attendance is crucial for optimizing its effectiveness.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify patient characteristics associated with higher or lower attendance rates in group prenatal care.
• To inform potential adaptations of the GPNC model to address attendance barriers.

Main Methods:

• Secondary analysis of data from a randomized controlled trial comparing GPNC to IPNC.
• Focus on patients assigned to the GPNC arm (n = 1,068).
• Zero-Inflated Poisson regression used to assess associations between patient characteristics and GPNC session attendance.

Main Results:

• Older age, foreign nativity, and prenatal distress were associated with higher GPNC session attendance.
• Lower attendance was linked to being unmarried, less than high school education, depressive symptoms, housing instability, housing issues, life stressors, gestational diabetes, and smoking.
• The study sample was diverse and largely Medicaid-eligible.

Conclusions:

• Patient characteristics significantly influence group prenatal care attendance.
• Specific groups, including those with lower education, mental health challenges, housing instability, and certain health conditions, face barriers to attending GPNC sessions.
• Adaptations to the GPNC model are recommended to reduce attendance barriers and improve equitable access for vulnerable populations.