Factors Which Deterred a Group of Women from Seeking Early Antepartum Care
This study was done for the purpose of analyzing stated factors of deterrence to early antepartum clinic attendance by mothers who attended a selected antepartum care after the twenty-eighth week of pregnancy were selected for this study. The normative survey was the method chosen for the study and the interview technique was used to obtain the data from the study. Findings and conclusions drawn were: women who sought late care had established a pattern of care they apparently felt secure in continuing. They most often utilized clinic services. Further, decisions to finally seek care (desire for treatment; resolution of practical difficulties; and inmate knowledge) pointed out that these factors were not sufficient motivating influences for earlier attendance. Likewise, reasons these women first wanted to seek care (prevention, diagnosis and treatment) also were not strong enough motivating factors to counteract deterring factors. Lack of information of clinic sources and previous clinic experiences were not deterrent factors to early clinic attendance. Fifty-give percent of the group saw the needs of pregnant women as emotional; 25 percent, as having no special needs. Subjects expressed negative feedings towards their pregnancy. This probably partially explains the lack of early care. Subjects expressed deterring factors to early attendance as practical difficulties. For example, employment, financial, transportation, babysitting and language problems. Other deterring factors expressed were attitudes toward medical care such as, feelings about the examination, negligent and indifferent attitudes about the need for care, disappointment about being pregnant, and finally an attitude that antepartum care is unnecessary. The above factors, plus the fact that in some cases the clinics were apparently not meeting the expressed needs of these patients probably accounts for lack of early clinic attendance.
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