Counseling received in prenatal care by Brazilian women

Abstract

Objective: To analyze the counseling received during prenatal care by Brazilian women and its association with sociodemographic and healthcare characteristics. Method: A cross-sectional study using data from the Brazilian National Health Survey2013 and 2019 editions. Women aged 18 to 49 who had prenatal care up to two years prior to the survey (1,851 in 2013 and 2,819 in 2019) were studied. Prevalence rates were estimated with their 95% Confidence Intervals for the different guidelines. Prevalence rates, unadjusted Prevalence Ratio and 95% Confidence Interval were then estimated according to sociodemographic and healthcare variables. Results: The results reveal inequalities in the counseling received during prenatal care, especially among women living in less developed regions of the country, with brown/black skin color, low levels of education, and who receive prenatal care in the public health system. Conclusion: Counseling is provided by professionals, with emphasis on counseling on referral maternity, but there are inequities in the provision of this counseling.