Community-based antenatal care: a comparative study between Chester-le-street (England) and Pamplona (Spain)

Abstract

Objectives. This study was part of a comparative research between Pamplona (Spain) and Chester-le-Street (England). It aimed to compare protocols and practices of community-based antenatal care and to measure the knowledge acquired and the level of satisfaction of women with the antenatal education received. Design. A cross-sectional survey study. A combination of qualitative and quantitative methods was used. Data were collected by face-to-face questionnaires and non-participant observations. Participants. The final sample was 114 women, including 55 in Chester-le- Street and 59 in Pamplona. The study was performed in one health centre in Pamplona, and four in Chester-le-Street. Results. Topics about health education were grouped into categories. The percentage of women who reported receiving information on health education topics was, in all cases, higher than the percentages of those who reported receiving advise from their midwife on the same topics. The jj- test was applied to the results and statistically significant differences were discovered between the two settings. The percentage of smokers in Pamplona was significantly higher than in Chester-le-Street. 30.5% of women in Pamplona smoked compared to 9.1% in Chester-le-Street. The percentages of alcohol consumption during pregnancy were 6.8% in Pamplona and 23.6% in Chester- le-Street. In general terms, 70.9% and 57.6% of the women from Chester-le- Street and Pamplona respectively were very satisfied with the information and time given to each of them by their midwife. The differences found in the non- participant observations were the length of the appointments, weight gain measurements and diet advice. Conclusions. The analysis of the results show, that the over-all community antenatal care system in Pamplona is comparatively more advanced. However, some of the elements of antenatal care in Chester-le-Street were of the highest quality, and should be introduced in Pamplona, i.e. an organised team of community midwifes and a home-arranged birth plan.