Effect of applying centering pregnancy model versus individual prenatal care on certain prenatal care outcomes

Objective: This study aimed to compare effect of applying centering pregnancy model (CPM) versus individual prenatal care on certain prenatal care outcomes. Methods: A quasi experimental research design was followed. A purposive sample of 216 pregnant women without medical or obstetric problems requiring individualized care, was recruited from the Antenatal Outpatient Clinics of Mansoura University Hospitals, Egypt. Participants were randomly assigned to receive prenatal care under CPM or individual prenatal approach. Data were collected for the healthy behaviors adoption using Pregnancy-relevant Health Behaviors scale, women’s extent of troubling about pregnancy physical discomforts using a Pregnancy Symptoms Distress scale, and women’s satisfaction with prenatal care using Patient Participation & Satisfaction Questionnaire. Results: Post-intervention, CPM group equated to individual care group experienced lower distress about experienced pregnancy physical discomforts (8.06 ± 2.40 vs. 15.42 ± 3.84 respectively; t = 16.89 & p < .001), reported higher engagement to pregnancyrelevant health behaviors (37.71 ± 2.91 vs. 29.78 ± 4.3 respectively; t = 15.59 & p < .001), and higher satisfaction with and participation in care (80.8 ± 10.4 and 63.8 ± 11.1 respectively, t = 11.62 & p < .001). Conclusions: Hypotheses of the current study were accepted where CPM of prenatal care was associated with increased women adoption to the pregnancy-relevant healthy behaviors, reduced women distress about the experienced pregnancy physical discomforts and increased women participation and satisfaction about prenatal care.