The general objective of this study is to evaluate prenatal care in the specific context of rural China. It also aims to define the optimal content of prenatal care for the context of rural China, to evaluate the effect of such prenatal care on infant and maternal outcomes, using a community based, well designed controlled trial in rural counties. Finally, it aims to describe the process of conducting a controlled study using community resources.
The study was conducted in a rural county of 900,000 people in Anhui province, in eastern China. The total area of the county is almost 3,000 square kilometres. The majority of the population of the county is engaged in farming. In terms of national GDP rankings, the study county is typical of less developed rural areas in China. Twenty townships (10 interventions and 10 control) out of a total of 55 were selected - on the basis of having sufficient health facilities and staff - for a controlled trial on the introduction of systematic prenatal care in the area.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
HEALTH_SERVICES_RESEARCH
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
5,000
The intervention consisted of 1) training township midwives, 2) informing women and men in the community of the importance of prenatal care, 3) providing intervention township hospitals with basic medical instruments used in prenatal care (i.e. blood pressure monitors, weighing scales for mothers and newborns, stethoscopes).
County Health Bureau, Ding Yuan County
Chuzhou, Anhui, China
perinatal mortality
Time frame: Jan 1999-Dec 2003
timing and frequency of prenatal care and hospital delivery rate
Time frame: Jan 1999-Dec 2003
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