Incentives and Barriers to Receiving Prenatal Care Services in Zahedan, Iran: A Qualitative Study

Providing adequate prenatal care for women can help maintain or improve the health of the mother and fetus. This study aims to identify the incentives and barriers to receiving prenatal care in Zahedan, southeast Iran. 

This is a qualitative study using a conventional content analysis approach. Participants were 26 people, including 8 healthcare workers and 18 pregnant women referred to the healthcare centers in 2022 in Zahedan. They were selected by a purposive sampling method and underwent semi-structured in-depth interviews, which continued until the data saturation. Content analysis was carried out along with assessing the validity and reliability of data using Graneheim and Lundman’s four criteria (credibility, dependability, transferability, and confirmability). 

After analysis, 504 codes were obtained, which were reduced to 215 codes, from which 19 sub-categories, 6 sub-themes, and 2 themes of prenatal care barriers and incentives. 

Policymakers and authorities in Zahedan should pay attention to the incentives and barriers to receiving prenatal care identified in this study for developing plans to improve the health of pregnant women in this area.