USING INCENTIVES TO INCREASE PARTICIPATION IN PRENATAL-CARE

Objective: To test the effectiveness of offering two kinds of incentiv es to encourage low-income women's participation in prenatal and postp artum care. Methods: Two hundred five Medicaid-eligible women enrolled in a prenatal clinic were randomly assigned to receive a $5.00 gift c ertificate (N = 51) or a gift certificate and a chance to win a $100 r affle (N = 53) for each prenatal appointment they kept. Controls (N = 101) and the two experimental groups were interviewed postpartum about their satisfaction with prenatal care. Women in the three groups were compared for the number of prenatal and the postpartum appointments, satisfaction with care, length of gestation, and birth weight. Results : Thirty-nine percent missed one to seven prenatal appointments, and 4 5% missed the postpartum appointment. There were no significant differ ences among the three groups in any of the outcome variables. Women mi ssed appointments because of the lack of transportation, poor weather, and illness. Conclusion: Providing incentives does not overcome barri ers to receiving prenatal care.