people living in finglas and their health - School of Medicine - Trinity ...

RESULTS - PART 1
RESULTS - PART 1
Figure 3.11 Practices of women before and during their most recent pregnancy (if it occurred between January
1997 and April 2002) as reported by primary carers (n=58)
PERCENTAGE
10
80
60
40
20
0
51.7
Planned
63.3
Peri-conceptual
folic acid
PRACTICES BEFORE AND DURING LAST PREGNANCY
Fifty-two percent of the women’s last pregnancies were planned (Figure 3.11). Of those who planned their last
pregnancy, over three fifths (19/30, 63%) had taken folic acid prior to conception. Almost a quarter had smoked
during their last pregnancy, 5% did not attend antenatal care and 7% did not have a postnatal examination six
weeks after delivery (Table 3.21). According to the primary carers, almost three fifths of the expectant women had
antenatal care in a maternity hospital and over one third had their care shared with their general practitioner (Table
3.18). Over four fifths of the women had their youngest child in the Rotunda Maternity Hospital (Table 3.21).
Table 3.21 Primary carers’ reported number of pregnancies in their households between January 1997 and
April 2002, as well as health practices and service uptake by pregnant women for the most recent pregnancy
No. %
Women in household who have given birth since January 1997
and number of births to each woman
One child 52 89.7
Two children 4 06.9
Three children 2 03.4
n 58
Information on the most recent pregnancy
Age when became pregnant
18 to 19 11 19.0
20 to 29 18 31.0
30 to 42 29 50.0
n 58
Place where antenatal care was received
Maternity hospital 31 58.5
Combined or shared care 20 37.7
Consultant private clinic 2 03.8
n 53
Place of delivery
Rotunda 49 84.5
National Maternity Hospital 5 08.6
Coombe Womens Hospital 4 06.9
n 58
Attended 6 week post natal check up
Yes 53 91.4
No 4 06.9
Don’t know 1 01.7
n 57
24.1
Smoked during
pregnancy
94.8
Antenatal care
Satisfaction with maternity services
As one of the last three health services used, 15 women were admitted to a maternity hospital in the twelve months
preceding the survey. Eleven of them reported satisfaction levels, of whom seven were satisfied with the service
(Table 3.22). The main reason for satisfaction was that they received good treatment or care (5/7, 71%). For three
of the four individuals dissatisfied with the service the long waiting period encountered was the reason given.
Table 3.22 Primary carers’ reported number (%) of the individuals admitted to maternity hospital in the year
prior to the survey and level of satisfaction with services
No. %
Admitted to maternity hospital
Yes 15 07.3
No 190 92.7
n (women aged 15 to 49 years) 205
Satisfied with care and treatment (1 very satisfied to 6 very dissatisfied)
Yes (1 to 3) 7 63.6
No (4 to 6) 4 36.4
n 11
3.9 COMMUNITY HEALTH SERVICES
General practice
The primary carers reported that 559 (58%) of the 963 individuals residing in the survey households attended
their general practitioner in the year prior to the survey. This figure was adjusted to take account of the over
representation of the population in the sample who lived in low deprivation district electoral divisions compared
to the proportion living in high deprivation district electoral divisions, and following adjustment, 57.7% of
household members had attended their general practitioner in the year prior to the survey.
The respondents were also asked to recall the purpose of their most recent visit. Acute onset of illness, medical
check up and repeat prescriptions were the most common purposes cited (Table 3.23).
Of those who attended their general practitioner in the last year, just over 57% attended a general practitioner
in Finglas while a further 20% attended in Glasnevin (Table 3.23). Four out of every ten individuals who attended
their general practitioner in the last year walked to the surgery while a further one in every ten travelled by public
transport.
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