Original scientific paper
A comparison between antenatal care quality in public and private sector in rural Hebei, China
Li Chen
; Graduate School, Peking Union Medical College, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
Yaohua Dai
; Department of Integrated Early Childhood Development, Capital Institute of Paediatrics, Beijing, China
Yanfeng Zhang
; Department of Integrated Early Childhood Development, Capital Institute of Paediatrics, Beijing, China
Qiong Wu
; Department of Integrated Early Childhood Development, Capital Institute of Paediatrics, Beijing, China
Diana Rudan
; University Hospital Dubrava Zagreb, and Faculty of Medicine University of Split, Split, Croatia
Vanja Saftić
; University Hospital “Sisters of Mercy,” Zagreb, Croatia
Michelle H.M.M.T. van Velthoven
; Global eHealth Unit, Department of Primary Care and Public Health Imperial College London, London United Kingdom
Jianqiang Su
; Department of Integrated Early Childhood Development, Capital Institute of Paediatrics, Beijing, China
Zangwen Tan
; Department of Integrated Early Childhood Development, Capital Institute of Paediatrics, Beijing, China
Robert W. Scherpbier
; Section of Health and Nutrition Water, Environment and Sanitation, UNICEF China, Beijing, China
Abstract
Aim To evaluate the quality of antenatal care (ANC) in Hebei
Province and compare it between the public and private
sector and within the public sector.
Methods We conducted a Maternal, Newborn and Child
Health Household Survey in 2010 using a two-stage sampling
procedure and included 1079 mothers. The quality
of ANC was assessed on the basis of the number of ANC
visits, the time of the first ANC visit, 16 different ANC procedures,
owning a maternal health care booklet, and the
type of service provider.
Results Almost all women (98%) received ANC services at
least once, 80% at least four times, and 54% at least five
times. About half of the women (46%) visited ANC facility
within their first trimester. Neither public nor private sector
provided all 16 standardized services, but significantly
more women in public sector received ANC procedures.
Most women received ANC in county or higher-level hospitals
(75%) and very few in township hospitals (8%). Significantly
fewer women were weighed and tested for HIV/
AIDS in township than in county or higher-level hospitals.
Conclusion The quality of ANC in Hebei was poorer than
required by China’s national and World Health Organization
norms. Although the public sector performed better
than the private sector, the utilization and quality of care
of ANC services in this sector varied and women generally
visited county or higher-level health facilities.
Keywords
Hrčak ID:
104737
URI
Publication date:
15.4.2013.
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