User satisfaction with antenatal care in Norway.

BACKGROUND: In Norway, antenatal care is delivered free of charge in the municipality. Satisfaction with care is considered to be an important predictor of utilization of health care. The aim of this study was to examine women's satisfaction with antenatal care, and to identify factors that predict overall satisfaction with the service. METHODS: A total of 611 women completed a survey that collected information on demographic variables, pregnancy variables, and aspects of antenatal care; it also contained one open-ended question. A hierarchical multiple regression analysis was conducted to predict Overall Satisfaction with antenatal care based on four specific scales: User Participation, Accessibility, Information, and Midwife, adjusted for demographic variables. RESULTS: Survey responses showed that 95% of women were satisfied with antenatal care in general. The expectant mother's age, having Norwegian as the native language, and the scales User Participation, Information, and Midwife were all significant predictors of Overall Satisfaction with antenatal care. The open-ended user comments underlined the important role of midwifes in antenatal care. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study indicate that women who attended antenatal care in Norway were satisfied with the care they received. Midwives had an important role, and their relational and professional competence was highly valuated by expectant mothers. The findings also suggest that there are still opportunities to improve satisfaction with antenatal care, for example, by increasing the focus on mental health during antenatal consultations.

Neurodevelopmental correlates of behavioural and emotional problems in a neuropaediatric sample.

Most research does not address the overlap between neurodevelopmental disorders when investigating concomitant mental health problems. The purpose of the present study was to examine the association of intellectual disability (ID), autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) with the presence of behavioural and emotional problems after controlling for other well-known correlates and risk factors. The sample included 4- to 18-year-old children who attended neuropaediatric clinics (N = 331). After controlling for adversity, age, gender, other developmental/neurological disorders, parental emotional problems, and parenting strategies, the presence of ADHD but not ASD or ID was uniquely associated with behaviour problems. Neither ADHD nor ASD nor ID was significantly associated with emotional problems after controlling for other risk factors. However, ADHD, ASD and behavioural/emotional disorders but not ID were significantly associated with functional impairment in everyday activities after controlling for other risk factors. Because children with neurodevelopmental disorders have complex needs, a holistic approach to diagnosis and interventions is highly warranted, including the assessment and treatment of behavioural and emotional disorders.