Prenatal care for low-income women and the health belief model: a new beginning

Abstract

Low-income women are among those at risk for delivering low-birth-weight babies (Lia-Hoagberg et al., 1990; Miller, Magolis, Schwethelm, & Smith, 1989; St. Clair, Smeriglio, Alexander, Connell, & Niebyl, 1990). These women tend to use prenatal care less often, perceive more barriers to care, have less positive reinforcement for receiving care, have less access to care, have lower education levels, maintain less healthy lifestyles, and have lower compliance with recommendations (Henderson, 1994; Koska, 1990; Lia-Hoagberg et al., 1990; Miller et al., 1989). This article will highlight three attributes of the problem of low-income women and prenatal care. First, low-income pregnant women are at risk for delivering low-birth-weight and preterm babies, which usually leads to expensive subsequent care. Second, an unhealthy maternal lifestyle increases the risk of delivering a low-birth-weight or preterm baby. Third, there are social, programming, and lifestyle barriers that low-income women face in receiving prenatal care. Finally, this article examines the use of the Health Belief Model as a theoretical basis for future prenatal care programming for low-income women.