Klerman LV, Ramey SL, Goldenberg RL, Marbury S, Hou J, Cliver SP. A randomized trial of augmented prenatal care for multiple-risk, Medicaid-eligible African American women. Am J Public Health. 2001 Jan;91(1):105-11. doi: 10.2105/ajph.91.1.105. PMID: 11189800; PMCID: PMC1446489.
Intervention Components (click on component to see a list of all articles that use that intervention): Prenatal Care Access, Social Supports, Targeting Interventions to Focused Groups
Intervention Description: The augmented care intervention included educationally oriented peer groups, additional appointments, extended time with clinicians, and other supports. The Mother and Family Specialty Center was created to provide augmented care, which sought to minimize risk conditions and improve pregnancy outcomes. The center provided transportation, child care, and a physical environment designed to provide welcoming, positive messages. Discussion groups were held as an integral part of each center visit to increase both social support and knowledge. Information was compiled and distributed to mothers-to-be in both video and easy-to-read print formats. The intervention also included home visits, weekend clinic hours, and direct provision of additional books and equipment
Intervention Results: Women in augmented care rated all aspects of their prenatal care significantly more favorably than did those in usual care. Participating in the Mother and Family Specialty Center was associated with highly positive appraisals of helpfulness, a belief among multiparous women that care was better this time, increased amounts of time spent with their regular nurse, and an almost universal perception that their nurse was “very helpful”. In contrast, those in usual care had more mixed evaluations of their prenatal care, although 80% judged their overall care to be “very helpful”. The number of prenatal visits was significantly greater in augmented care than in usual care. A dramatic difference between the 2 groups was self-report of participation in prenatal or childbirth classes: 79% for augmented care and 17% for usual care. Informing women about their own risk conditions and about pregnancy and delivery was an important feature of augmented care. Significantly more women in augmented care than in usual care reported that they were told they or their baby were “at risk,” although most still reported that they were not informed of their own specific risks. This self-report is at odds with the documented nurse records, which indicated that particular risks were discussed on multiple occasions. However, 69% of those aware of their risk conditions in augmented care reported positive behavior change as a result of prenatal care information, compared with 48% in usual care. Pregnancy outcomes did not differ significantly between the groups; however, among patients in augmented care, rates of preterm births were lower and cesarean deliveries and stays in neonatal intensive care units occurred in smaller proportions. Both groups had lower-than-predicted rates of low birthweight
Conclusion: High-quality prenatal care, emphasizing education, health promotion, and social support, significantly increased women’s satisfaction, knowledge of risk conditions, and perceived mastery in their lives, but it did not reduce low birthweight. The study found that augmented care did not significantly improve pregnancy outcomes, but it did improve women’s perceptions of their care and their knowledge of risk conditions. The study suggests that providing additional support and education to high-risk pregnant women can improve their satisfaction with care and their knowledge of risk conditions, which may lead to positive behavior change. The study also suggests that providing additional support and education to high-risk pregnant women may reduce rates of preterm births, cesarean deliveries, and stays in neonatal intensive care units .
Study Design: The study design was a randomized controlled trial . All pregnant women who sought prenatal care from the Jefferson County (Alabama) Department of Health from March 1994 to June 1996 were screened for eligibility. Women were eligible if they met the following criteria: (1) African American, (2) eligible for Medicaid, (3) less than 26 weeks’ gestation, (4) at least 16 years old, and (5) score of 10 or higher on a risk assessment scale. The scale was based on multiple analyses of a computerized database that included all Medicaid-eligible pregnancies in the area during 1993 and 1994 and a prospective study of high-risk pregnancies . The eligible women were randomly assigned to augmented care or usual care
Setting: The study was conducted in Jefferson County, Alabama, and specifically focused on the Mother and Family Specialty Center, which provided the augmented prenatal care program for high-risk African American women . The center offered a supportive environment with culturally appropriate and individualized care, emphasizing health promotion and education . The setting included features such as transportation assistance, child care, and a welcoming physical environment designed to provide positive messages and cultural appropriateness .
Population of Focus: The target population of the study was high-risk African American women who were eligible for Medicaid, scored 10 or higher on a risk assessment scale, were 16 years or older, and had no major medical complications . The study aimed to improve pregnancy outcomes and patients’ knowledge of risks, satisfaction with care, and behavior for this specific population . The study sample included 656 African American women who enrolled in the trial, with outcome data available for 619 who delivered in area hospitals
Sample Size: The sample size for the study was 656 African American women who enrolled in the trial. Outcome data were available for 619 who delivered in area hospitals, where 318 received augmented care and 301 received usual care . The sample size of 285 women in the experimental group and a similar number of controls were considered adequate to detect a reduction in the rate of low birthweight from 20%–25% to 10%–12%
Age Range: The sample size for the study was 656 African American women who enrolled in the trial. Outcome data were available for 619 who delivered in area hospitals, where 318 received augmented care and 301 received usual care . The sample size of 285 women in the experimental group and a similar number of controls were considered adequate to detect a reduction in the rate of low birthweight from 20%–25% to 10%–12%
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