Patterns and determinants of maternity care in Damascus

This descriptive study was designed to describe the patterns and determinants of maternity care among Syrian women living in Damascus. All 39 birth registers in 2 large provinces were used to recruit 500 mothers of healthy newborns. Mothers were interviewed in their homes using a semistructured questionnaire. Multivariate analysis of the determinants of the frequency of use of antenatal care showed the following variables were significant: urban residence and visit to antenatal care in the 1[st] trimester. The significant variables for an early visit to antenatal care were the woman's level of education; being pregnant with the 1st baby; and number of visits to antenatal care. Being young [age < 20 years] also correlated with early timing of the 1st antenatal visit

[Applying a teaching programme in community-based medical education]

A community-based medical education programme at Damascus University was applied in a local setting from 2 to 12 July 2004 to assess the advantages and disadvantages. Three families and 10 medical students participated. The programme included teaching objectives, health education and approaches to application and evaluation. The design of the programme was appropriate for the community setting, but it needed a longer period to run and for contact between the students and the community. The students agreed with the structure of the programme and the role of the tutor and community, but were concerned about difficulties in implementation. Community members were enthusiastic about the programme