OBJECTIVE: To establish the association and possible interactions between emotional and cognitive factors in pregnant women and their use of institutional antenatal care. It was assumed that the knowledge and attitude of a pregnant woman determines her approach to demanding antenatal care. DESIGN: Analytic study. SETTING: Hospitals in the Health Area of Jalisco, Mexico. PARTICIPANTS: 2955 women leaving hospital early who had had at least 2 antenatal consultations. MAIN MEASUREMENTS: Personal and reproductive characteristics of the women, opportunity and continuity of antenatal care, knowledge of pregnancy and the antenatal care programme, attitudes towards institutional medical care of pregnancy. RESULTS: In the logistical regression model, 6 associations or interactions between unsatisfactory antenatal care and the variables analysed were found. The strong association of positive attitudes and sufficient knowledge in achieving satisfactory antenatal care was notable, and was even placed above the question of receiving, or otherwise, free medical provision from the health service. CONCLUSIONS: Undoubtedly, women's educational background plays a major role. This obliges the health services to strengthen their educational programmes by adjusting them to women's culture.
OBJECTIVE: To establish the association and possible interactions between emotional and cognitive factors in pregnant women and their use of institutional antenatal care. It was assumed that the knowledge and attitude of a pregnant woman determines her approach to demanding antenatal care. DESIGN: Analytic study. SETTING: Hospitals in the Health Area of Jalisco, Mexico. PARTICIPANTS: 2955 women leaving hospital early who had had at least 2 antenatal consultations. MAIN MEASUREMENTS: Personal and reproductive characteristics of the women, opportunity and continuity of antenatal care, knowledge of pregnancy and the antenatal care programme, attitudes towards institutional medical care of pregnancy. RESULTS: In the logistical regression model, 6 associations or interactions between unsatisfactory antenatal care and the variables analysed were found. The strong association of positive attitudes and sufficient knowledge in achieving satisfactory antenatal care was notable, and was even placed above the question of receiving, or otherwise, free medical provision from the health service. CONCLUSIONS: Undoubtedly, women's educational background plays a major role. This obliges the health services to strengthen their educational programmes by adjusting them to women's culture.