Assessing the Institutional Provision of Maternal Nutrition Services in Antenatal Clinics in Beijing
Date
Authors
Li, Yini
Wang, Xi
Wang, Dongjun
Zhang, Suhan
Li, Ye
Hu, Mingyue
Sun, Yin
Ma, Liangkun
Supervisor
Item type
Journal Article
Degree name
Journal Title
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Volume Title
Publisher
Informa UK Limited
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the availability, quality, and delivery of maternal nutrition services in antenatal clinics across Beijing, focusing on service types, provider qualifications, resource adequacy, and barriers to effective service delivery. The study also aims to identify factors influencing service availability and institutional variation and propose a framework for improving maternal nutrition care in urban China. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted across 110 antenatal clinics in Beijing, using structured surveys targeting institutional characteristics, service coverage, personnel qualifications, and service delivery methods, supplemented by qualitative insights from open-ended responses. RESULTS: Among 104 valid responses, 56% of institutions offered prenatal nutrition education classes. Provision varied descriptively by facility type (e.g. 12.5% in private hospitals vs ∼55-57% in other facility types), but the facility-type comparison was not statistically significant (chi-square = 5.72, df = 3, p = 0.13). While 76% of institutions reported having personnel with formal nutrition qualifications, gaps in training and reliance on non-specialized staff were common. Resource constraints (e.g. space, equipment, and limited digital support) were frequently reported as barriers. Institutional respondents reported high perceived patient satisfaction and the presence of feedback systems, but no patient-level outcomes were measured. CONCLUSION: This city-wide institutional survey suggests that maternal nutrition services in Beijing antenatal clinics are broadly available but heterogeneous in delivery, staffing, and resources. Observed contrasts across facility types should be interpreted as descriptive patters rather than confirmed group differences. Future work should evaluate whether standardization, workforce development, infrastructure strengthening, and digital support improve service quality and equity, using patient-level and implementation indicators.Description
Keywords
Maternal nutrition, antenatal care, health care providers, health education, nutrition education, pregnancy, 3215 Reproductive Medicine, 32 Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, 42 Health Sciences, Clinical Research, 8.1 Organisation and delivery of services, Reproductive health and childbirth, 3 Good Health and Well Being, 1114 Paediatrics and Reproductive Medicine, Obstetrics & Reproductive Medicine, 3213 Paediatrics, 3215 Reproductive medicine, 4204 Midwifery
Source
J Matern Fetal Neonatal Med, ISSN: 1476-7058 (Print); 1476-4954 (Online), Informa UK Limited, 39(1), 2630531-. doi: 10.1080/14767058.2026.2630531
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© 2026 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.