Comparison of Selected Outcomes of CenteringPregnancy Versus Traditional Prenatal Care

The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of traditional prenatal care versus a group model of care, CenteringPregnancy, on maternal knowledge of pregnancy, social support, health locus of control, and satisfaction. The CenteringPregnancy model of care gives patients extended time with the provider in a group setting. The study used a two-group, pretest/posttest design of pregnant women who elected either the traditional approach to prenatal care (n = 48) or the Centering approach (n = 50). The results of this study showed statistically significant differences between the groups on posttest in knowledge of pregnancy. For social support and health locus of control, the high scores at pretest contributed to a ceiling effect, which limited the potential for change. Additional research is needed to assess health status outcomes among women electing alternative approaches to prenatal care.