| Description |
A survey of women's interests in alternative maternity facilities was conducted in Salt Lake County. The survey sought to answer the following questions: (a) Is there a market for alternative maternity facilities (birthing suite, birth center and homebirth service) in Salt Lake County? (b) What are the characteristics of women who would have an interest in using alternative maternity facilities? (c) What are possible obstacles to marketing these alternative maternity facilities? The sample consisted of 100 women between the ages of 15 to 39 who might have children within the next 10 years, but excluded currently pregnant women. The sample was composed of two groups: 59 women who never had had a previous childbirth experience and 50 women who had had a previous childbirth experience. The total sample was obtained by a random cluster sampling method. The survey was conducted through a personal interview using a structured questionnaire. The survey results demonstrated that women do have an interest in alternative maternity facilities, the birthing suite having the greatest market potential. There were no significant differences between women who preferred the traditional maternity facility, birth suite, birth center and homebirth on the following variables: Age, years of education, religion, annual income and parity. Therefore, characteristics of women who prefer each alternative maternity facility were not identified by this survey. Several obstacles to marketing alternative maternity facilities were identified. These included informational needs of women, influence of previous experience with the maternity care system and the importance of safety, personal doctor and cost. |
