ASN Shares Dr. John Duah's (Cohort 2018) Latest Publication

Dr. John Duah, Cohort 2018

Dr. Duah (Cohort 2018) shared his most recent publication, “Beyond Intentionality: A Latent Class Analysis of Barriers to Prenatal Care in an Explanatory Mixed Methods Study,” which presents an in-depth assessment of whether pregnancy intentionality influences early prenatal care and the extent to which systemic access barriers mediate or moderate this relationship. Drawing on Alabama PRAMS Phase 8 data (2016–2021) and insights from expert interviews, the study identifies three latent profiles: low barriers, cognitive barriers, and structural barriers.

The study findings suggest that individual intent, while important, is often outweighed by logistical, informational, and systemic challenges. Although planned pregnancies showed higher odds of early care initiation, this association was not statistically significant after accounting for healthcare access barriers, as identified through latent profile analysis. More crucially, qualitative insights underscored how fragmented care, provider communication gaps, and social stigma continue to disrupt timely access.

Altogether, these results pinpoint the need for policy and practice interventions that move beyond promoting pregnancy planning to addressing persistent structural inequities, which are vital for equitable prenatal access and outcomes in the perinatal continuum. 

Duah, J. K. (2025). Beyond Intentionality: A latent class analysis of barriers to prenatal care in an explanatory mixed methods study. Healthcare, 13(13), 1546. https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare13131546