| Learning Objective #1: Relate factors that serve as barriers/facilitators to prenatal care for Mexican-American women. | |||
| Learning Objective #2: Analyze data to assist health care providers and policy makers in developing programs that maximize access to prenatal care for Mexican-American women. |
Background:Cobb County, Georgia has a rapidly growing population of young immigrant women from Mexico with low paying jobs, few health benefits, speaking primarily Spanish. They do not access prenatal care or access care late in pregnancy. Goal: this study seeks to understand from the women's perspectives, what factors act as barriers/facilitators to accessing prenatal care. The study will ultimately provide data to improve prenatal care and maternal infant health among poor Mexican women in Cobb County, Ga. Specific aims: 1) to identify factors that serve as barriers/facilitators to prenatal care for Mexican women. 2) to provide data to assist health care providers and policy makers in developing programs that maximize access to prenatal care for Mexican women. Methods: This study uses a two phase exploratory design. The first phase uses Kruger and Morgan(1988) focus group methodology. Potential study participants will be accessed through the Cobb County Health Department and the Cobb Pregnancy Center. Women (n=60) will be asked to respond to a series of semi-structured open-ended questions concerning their views of the need for prenatal care and factors that influence their ability to access this care. Themes and categories related to factors that facilitate/impede access to care will be identified. Based on the findings in phase one, a structured questionnnaire (phase II)will be developed/modified and used to survey a second group of pregnant Mexican-American women (n=200) concerning facilitators/barriers to prenatal care. Surveys will be quantitatively analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics to determine factors that affect access to prenatal care. Research Team: this study will be conducted by a strong interdisciplinary team that includes academic researchers, clinicians providing direct care to the target population, and representatives of the local Mexican-American community, which will maximize access to potential participants, and ensure cultural sensitivity and relevance of the study's procedure and results.
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Back to 14th International Nursing Research Congress
Sigma Theta Tau International
10-12 July 2003