Adolescents’ experiences with group antenatal care: Insights from a mixed‐methods study in Senegal

Abstract

ObjectivesGroup antenatal care (G‐ANC) is an innovative model in which antenatal care is delivered to a group of 8–12 women of similar gestational age. Evidence from high‐income countries suggests G‐ANC is particularly effective for women from marginalised populations, including adolescents. The objective of this study was to examine the experiences of Senegalese adolescents engaged in group antenatal care.MethodsThis convergent parallel mixed‐methods study is derived from a larger effectiveness–implementation hybrid pilot study conducted in Kaolack district, Senegal. Quantitative data for adolescent participants were collected through baseline and postnatal surveys and descriptively analysed. One‐on‐one interviews and focus‐group discussions were conducted with adolescent participants, and qualitative data were analysed using qualitative descriptive analysis.ResultsForty‐five adolescents aged 15–19 participated in G‐ANC, with a median age of 18 years. The majority (93.3%) were married, and 64.4% were nulliparous. Findings indicated similar levels of G‐ANC participation for adolescent and adult women. The majority (93.1%) of participants who had previously attended individual ANC indicated they would prefer G‐ANC to individual care for a future pregnancy. Qualitative findings indicated key facets of consideration relevant to G‐ANC for adolescents include social connectedness, the influence of social norms and the opportunity for engagement in healthcare.ConclusionsThis study suggests that G‐ANC has the potential to be an adolescent‐responsive and culturally appropriate method of delivering antenatal care in Senegal.

Factors that influence and, strategies for improving uptake of maternity services among adolescents in Zomba Malawi. A longitudinal qualitative study

“…Group service provision has also been reported to be favored in other studies, as it promotes information sharing related to health, social interactions, and connections which is bene cial to both young and old women (25).…”

Maternal satisfaction with group care: a systematic review

“…The eligibility criteria for papers to be considered for inclusion in the review are presented in Table 1 . To be included, studies had to report data on women receiving perinatal group care, that is, care within 1000 days of care from the start of the pregnancy 11 , 28 ; the intervention was centering-based perinatal care, 1 or synonym model known as G-ANC, 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 or similar models like Group Based Antenatal Care, 9 Expect With Me, 8 Pregnancy Circles 10 or Connecting Pregnancy 7 ; the control group was standard individual care; and, studies reported a measure of overall satisfaction with care. Group care is provided during antenatal and postnatal periods; therefore, it is important to examine satisfaction during all stages of perinatal care.…”

“… 1 In many countries, this model is known as group antenatal care (G-ANC). 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 There are similar models that share a similar philosophy and derived from the original model, including Connecting Pregnancy, implemented in Canada, 7 Expect With Me, implemented in the United States, 8 Group Based Antenatal Care, implemented in Denmark and Sweden, 9 and Pregnancy Circles implemented in the United Kingdom. 10 …”