Changing models of public antenatal care in Australia: Is current practice meeting the needs of vulnerable populations?
Open accessAbstract
Objective to investigate women's views and experiences of public antenatal care. Design population-based survey in two states. Setting South Australia and Victoria, Australia. Participants 4366 women surveyed at 5-6 months post partum. Findings of 8468 eligible women mailed the survey, 52% returned completed questionnaires. Fifty-seven per cent of women (2496/4339) received public antenatal care. Of these, half attended a GP for some/all antenatal visits, 38% attended a public hospital clinic or midwives clinic, and 12% had primary midwife care, mostly in a midwifery group practice. Women with complex needs - young women, those experiencing multiple social health problems, women of non-English speaking background, and women at higher risk of complications in pregnancy - were the least likely to say that care met their needs. Women attending a GP or midwife as a primary caregiver were the most positive about their antenatal care: 69% and 74% respectively describing their antenatal care as 'very good'. Women attending a standard public hospital clinic were the least positive about their antenatal care with only 48% rating their care as 'very good'. Women enroling in GP shared care or attending a midwives clinic at a public hospital gave intermediate ratings. Conclusion and implications for practice Models of public antenatal care involving a designated lead primary caregiver (GP or midwife) came closest to meeting women's need for information, individualised care and support.
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Age is associated with greater satisfaction in young women compared to older women during childbirth.
“Age is associated with greater satisfaction in young women compared to older women during childbirth, which is consistent with previous Canadian results, 34 but con fl icting results have been reported in the past. 8,32,33”
From Comprehensive maternity support and shared care in Switzerland: Comparison of levels of satisfaction (2018) · cites this paper as [33]
The 'Overall rating of antenatal care' section says younger women (<25 years) were less likely to rate their care favourably, the opposite of the claimed age pattern. Table 1 shows 55.1% of women under 25 rated antenatal care 'very good,' compared with 63.1% of women aged 30–34. The paper assesses antenatal care, not satisfaction during childbirth. (LLM, conf=0.89)
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Short, A. E., Hall, N. R., & Chow, J. S. F. (2026) · International Journal of Qualitative Methods · doi:10.1177/16094069261449000
- Authors
- Brown, S. J., Sutherland, G. A., Gunn, J. M., & Yelland, J. S.
- Affiliations
- The University of Melbourne (AU)
- Murdoch Children's Research Institute (AU)
- Corresponding author
- Brown, Stephanie J.
- Venue
- Midwifery
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2014-03
- Volume
- 30
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 303-309
- ISSN
- 0266-6138 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2069817382
- Cited by
- 27
- References
- 28
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2025: 1 · 2024: 1 · 2023: 2 · 2022: 2 · 2021: 1 · 2020: 1 · 2019: 3 · 2018: 1 · 2017: 3 · 2016: 2 · 2015: 6 · 2014: 3
- FWCI
- 6.61
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- hdl.handle.net
- Locations
- Midwifery (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Minerva Access (University of Melbourne) (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- National Health and Medical Research Council (ID491205, 433012)
- Australian Research Council
- State Government of Victoria
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Health Professions › General Health Professions › Maternal and Neonatal Healthcare
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Obstetrics and Gynecology › Maternal and Perinatal Health Interventions
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Pediatrics, Perinatology and Child Health › Global Maternal and Child Health
- Keywords
- primary care providers, general practitioners, midwifery care, vulnerable populations, high-risk pregnancy, care needs, South Australia, Victoria
- MeSH terms
- Adolescent, Adult, Female, Health Services Needs and Demand, Humans, Middle Aged, Midwifery, Models, Theoretical, Pregnancy, Prenatal Care, Surveys and Questionnaires, South Australia, Victoria, Young Adult
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