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Seeking Early Care: The Role of Prenatal Care Advocates
Author(s) -
Winston Carla A.,
Oths Kathryn S.
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
medical anthropology quarterly
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.855
H-Index - 55
eISSN - 1548-1387
pISSN - 0745-5194
DOI - 10.1525/maq.2000.14.2.127
Subject(s) - prenatal care , residence , marital status , ethnic group , referral , medicine , family medicine , exploratory research , health care , public health , pregnancy , nursing , psychology , gerontology , demography , environmental health , population , sociology , biology , anthropology , economics , genetics , economic growth
This exploratory study investigates the role of social support in the initiation of prenatal care by analyzing data from interviews with 36 pregnant women at a public health facility in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. A systematic sample of U.S.‐born women aged 19 to 34 who initiated care in each of the three trimesters was interviewed. After controlling for age and education, three variables were found to be associated with earlier estimated gestational age at the time of a woman's first prenatal visit: self‐referral to care, more prenatal care advocates, and fewer children. There was no significant effect on the timing of entry to care associated with ethnicity, marital status, transportation availability, rural vs. urban residence, distance of residence from the clinic, or prior prenatal care at the public health facility. These results suggest that first‐time mothers are likely seek early care and that family and friends play a significant support role in encouraging women to begin care, [prenatal care, pregnancy, social support, Medicaid, treatment choice]