Psychosocial outcomes of group prenatal care

Abstract

Group prenatal care provides an alternative model of prenatal care that allows for collaboration with peers, education, discussion, and self-management training in addition to standard prenatal care. Previous research on group prenatal care has demonstrated a decreased risk of preterm labor and of low birth weight babies, increased pregnancy knowledge, and decreased perceived stress in certain populations. CenteringPregnancy®, an evidence-based model of group prenatal care, has been the focus of group prenatal care research, which has demonstrated such improvements in health outcomes as well as positive health behaviors. Could CenteringPregnancy® also reduce rates or severity of depression through its potential to increase support and knowledge of pregnancy for patients? This study aims to assess factors that may reduce risk of depression as well as rates of depression in women enrolled in CenteringPregnancy® compared to women in traditional, individual care. This non-randomized study collected data from patients at their initial obstetric visit and again at their postpartum visit to compare psychosocial outcomes between those participants in CenteringPregnancy® versus individual prenatal care. The majority (64%) of primiparous women chose CenteringPregnancy® (×2 = 8.6399, df = 2, p = 0.003). A significant increase in Pregnancy Knowledge Scale (PKS) scores was observed in the CenteringPregnancy® group (p = 0.0278). Women in both groups revealed no significant difference in depression scores, as measured by the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS). Our research adds support to current literature suggesting group prenatal care is equivalent to, and perhaps more beneficial (in certain psychosocial arenas) than traditional prenatal care (Lathrop in Nurs Womens Health 17:118–130, 2013).