Antenatal care: a case of the inverse care law?

Abstract

As part of a review of maternity services this study assessed satisfaction with antenatal care among 1193 women who gave birth in Victoria during two weeks of 1989, except for those who had a stillbirth or whose infant died between the birth and the survey. The survey questionnaire was mailed to women eight to nine months after the birth. The response rate, excluding duplicates, women who gave birth outside the survey period and those whose questionnaires were returned because of a change of address was 71.5 per cent. Women attending public hospital clinics were the least satisfied with antenatal care and those attending private obstetricians were the most satisfied, with general practitione..