Investigating COVID-19 risk perceptions and health decisions during pregnancy

Meredith Vanstone is leading a team across the disciplines of Family Medicine, Obstetrics, and Midwifery to conduct a cross-provincial mixed-methods research study examining how perceptions of COVID-19 risk impacted health related decisions made during pregnancy. Using a parallel convergent design, the team has nearly completed 75 interviews with people who gave birth between 2020-2021 in Ontario and British Columbia. This data will help to understand how risk perception impacted decision-making, and to understand differences in health service utilization observed in health administrative data from Ontario and British Columbia. The project focuses on comprehending decision-making in three domains: vaccination, prenatal care, and mental health or social supports.