Prenatal Care Program in Dingyuan County

Study Overview
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Brief Summary
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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.

Detailed Description
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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.

Official Title
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Evaluation of Prenatal Care Program in Rural China

Conditions
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Prenatal Care

Intervention / Treatment
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* Behavioral: training


Participation Criteria
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Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria: pregnant woman in program area (in 20 townships) from August 2000 to March 2003 Exclusion Criteria: outsiders of program area

Ages Eligible for Study
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Minimum Age: 20 Years

Sexes Eligible for Study
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Female

Accepts Healthy Volunteers
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No

Study Plan
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How is the study designed?
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Design Details

Primary Purpose: Health Services Research
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: None (Open Label)


Arms and Interventions

| Participant Group/Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
| --- | --- |
| Experimental: experimental<br>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). For control ,none of the intervention will be given. | Behavioral: training<br>* 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).<br>|

What is the study measuring?
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Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| perinatal mortality |  | Jan 1999-Dec 2003 | 

Secondary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| timing and frequency of prenatal care and hospital delivery rate |  | Jan 1999-Dec 2003 | 

 Terms related to the study
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Keywords Provided by Centre Hospitalier Valida
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prenatal care, community-based randomized controlled trial, perinatal mortality, China