Potential Impact
The research will provide valuable insights into the patterns and factors influencing antenatal care initiation and uptake among mothers from ethnically diverse and socially disadvantaged communities residing in Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes. The findings will inform the co-production of culturally sensitive and region-specific interventions, that can be adapted for local, national, and international contexts to improve antenatal care practices.
The results from this study will assist maternity healthcare professionals to design and deliver more effective, women-centred antenatal care tailored to the needs of disadvantaged groups, helping to reduce the risk of adverse birth outcomes.