Quality and equity in prenatal care: a population- based study in Southern Brazil

This population-based study aimed to evaluate prenatal coverage according to family income in a municipality (county) in Southern Brazil. Data were collected using a questionnaire with mothers in the first 24 hours postpartum. Prenatal coverage, first prenatal consultation in the first trimester, si...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Cadernos de saúde pública 2009-11, Vol.25 (11), p.2507-2516
Main Authors: Gonçalves, Carla Vitola, Cesar, Juraci Almeida, Mendoza-Sassi, Raul A
Format: Article
Language:Portuguese
Subjects:
Adolescent
Adult
Births
Brazil
Cross-Sectional Studies
Female
Health Services Accessibility - standards
Health Services Accessibility - statistics & numerical data
Humans
Income - statistics & numerical data
Infant, Newborn
Maternal and infant welfare
Pregnancy
Prenatal care
Prenatal Care - standards
Prenatal Care - statistics & numerical data
Public health
Quality control
Quality of Health Care - standards
Quality of Health Care - statistics & numerical data
Questionnaires
Socioeconomic Factors
Surveys and Questionnaires
Ultrasound
Young Adult
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Summary:This population-based study aimed to evaluate prenatal coverage according to family income in a municipality (county) in Southern Brazil. Data were collected using a questionnaire with mothers in the first 24 hours postpartum. Prenatal coverage, first prenatal consultation in the first trimester, six or more consultations, breast and colposcopic examination, routine prenatal laboratory tests according to the protocol of the Program for Humanization of Prenatal and Delivery Care (PHPN), and prenatal ultrasound increased proportionally with family income, and all were more frequent in women from the highest income quartile (p < 0.001). Despite these results, the prevalence of low birth weight did not show a statistically significant difference between the quartiles. The local health service appeared not to be very effective, since only 26.8% of the women were classified as having received adequate prenatal care according to the PHPN criteria, and care was unequal, since quality of care for women in the lowest income quartile was inferior to that of women in the highest quartile.
ISSN:0102-311X
1678-4464
DOI:10.1590/S0102-311X2009001100020