A Qualitative Study of Facilitators and Barriers to Participation in Antenatal Care Services by Older Pregnant Women—Take the Example of a Maternal and Child Health Service Center in the West

Objective: To understand the facilitating and hindering factors affecting access to antenatal care services for pregnant women of advanced maternal age and to provide reference for pregnancy care. Methods: A semi-structured qualitative interview was conducted from March 1, 2023 to May 1, 2023, using purposive sampling to select healthcare personnel, pregnant women of advanced maternal age attending outpatient obstetrics clinics or inpatient deliveries, and their families in maternal and child healthcare service centers of a prefecture-level city as the study subjects. Results: The study was analyzed from three perspectives: healthcare workers, pregnant women, and their families. Three themes were developed on the healthcare workers' side, namely, environmental factors, interaction with pregnant women and the hospital system; five themes were developed on the pregnant women's side, namely, the importance of healthcare services during pregnancy, the interaction with the obstetric service, the harmonious doctor-patient relationship, support system and barriers to participation in antenatal care; three themes emerged on the maternal family side, i.e., the need to protect the family, change of role tasks and barriers. Conclusion: Maternal access to antenatal care is influenced by a number of factors, and we should explore and try to address these barriers to help women have a more effective pregnancy and childbirth experience.