A STUDY ON ACCESS BARRIER TO PRENATAL CARE AMONG PREGNANT WOMEN

Abstract

Prenatal care at prenatal clinic that accessible and meet with expectation of pregnant women is important. This descriptive study aimed to determine barrier to access prenatal care among pregnant women. Samples were purposive samplings from pregnant women who visit prenatal clinic at the tertiary care hospital. Questionnaire was translated and back translated from Access Barrier to Care Index which was developed by Rosama Torres (2015). Descriptive statistic including frequency, mean and standard deviations were utilized to describe the findings.

The results were as followed. Participants were age between 14 42 years (M=23.08, SD=7.17) in which teenage pregnant women were 16.67%, and elderly pregnant women were 12.87%. Moreover, 97.5% were Buddhist, and half were marry without marriage identification. One third completed primary school and has no job. Family income were 1,000 45,000 Baht/month (M = 9,047.52 Baht/month ,Median = 9,000 Baht/month). Two fifth has enough income but no saving and used universal health care scheme.

Regarding to the prenatal service, 39.5% were primigravida, 12.6% experience abortion and 11.8% ever used prenatal care at this hospital. Access barrier to prenatal care were fatigue (72.4%), has to wait very long at the clinic (57.1%), lots of pregnant women who wait for the service (47.9%), and prenatal service was closed at the weekend (23.6%).

In order to make client more satisfaction on the health care service, midwifery should develop health teaching during their waiting for the service. Moreover, friendly environment may be another way to make stakeholder want to visit the clinic; useful entertainment can be adding. Further study is a research and development in developing the friendly prenatal clinic aiming for enhancing the visit of prenatal clinic; especially before 12 weeks of gestation.