Satisfaction with maternity care among recent migrants: an interview questionnaire-based study

Objective To examine factors associated with recently migrated women's satisfaction with maternity care in urban Oslo, Norway. Design An interview-based cross-sectional study, using a modified version of Migrant Friendly Maternity Care Questionnaire. Setting Face-to-face interview after birth in two maternity wards in urban Oslo, Norway, from January 2019 to February 2020. Participants International migrant women, <= 5 years length of residency in Norway, giving birth in urban Oslo, excluding women born in high-income countries. Primary outcome Dissatisfaction of care during pregnancy and birth, measured using a Likert scale, grouped into satisfied and dissatisfied, in relation to socio-demographic/clinical characteristics and healthcare experiences. Secondary outcome Negative healthcare experiences and their association with reason for migration. Results A total of 401 women answered the questionnaire (87.6% response rate). Overall satisfaction with maternal healthcare was high. However, having a Norwegian partner, higher education and high Norwegian language comprehension were associated with greater odds of being dissatisfied with care. One-third of all women did not understand the information provided by the healthcare personnel during maternity care. More women with refugee background felt treated differently because of factors such as religion, language and skin colour, than women who migrated due to family reunification. Conclusions Although the overall satisfaction was high, for certain healthcare experiences such as understanding information, we found more negative responses. The negative healthcare experiences and factors associated with satisfaction identified in this study have implications for health system planning, education of healthcare personnel and strategies for quality improvement.

Automated summary

The majority of recently migrated women in urban Oslo, Norway were satisfied with maternity care, but factors such as having a Norwegian partner, higher education, and good Norwegian language comprehension were associated with greater odds of being dissatisfied with care. One-third of women did not understand the information provided by healthcare personnel during maternity care. Women with refugee backgrounds were more likely to feel treated differently due to factors such as religion, language, and skin color, compared to women who migrated for family reunification.