Exploring Group Composition among Young, Urban Women of Color in Prenatal Care: Implications for Satisfaction, Engagement, and Group Attendance.

Abstract Purpose Group models of prenatal care continue to grow in popularity. However, little is known about how group composition (similarity or diversity between members of groups) relates to care-related outcomes. The current investigation aimed to explore associations between prenatal care group composition with patient satisfaction, engagement, and group attendance among young, urban women of color. Methods Data were drawn from two studies conducted in New Haven and Atlanta (2001–2004; n  = 557) and New York City (2008–2011; n  = 375) designed to evaluate group prenatal care among young, urban women of color. Women aged 14 to 25 were assigned to group prenatal care and completed surveys during their second and third trimesters of pregnancy. Group attendance was recorded. Data were merged and analyzed guided by the Group Actor–Partner Interdependence Model using multilevel regression. Analyses explored composition in terms of age, race, ethnicity, and language. Main Findings Women in groups with others more diverse in age reported greater patient engagement and, in turn, attended more group sessions, b(se) = −0.01(0.01); p  = .04. Conclusion The composition of prenatal care groups seems to be associated with young women's engagement in care, ultimately relating to the number of group prenatal care sessions they attend. Creating groups diverse in age may be particularly beneficial for young, urban women of color, who have unique pregnancy needs and experiences. Future research is needed to test the generalizability of these exploratory findings.