Table 2.
Characteristics of focus group participants
| Group/ name | Age | IMD quintile a | Parity | Type of area/ region | Option interested in/ chose |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Group 1 – Planning a Homebirth | |||||
| Ann | 32 | 3rd | Primip | City, North East | Homebirth |
| Anita | 32 | 1st | Multip | Town, South West | Homebirth |
| Angela | 34 | 1st | Multip | City, South West | Homebirth |
| Amy | 28 | 5th | Primip | City, East Midlands | Homebirth |
| Amelia | 33 | 5th | Primip | London | Homebirth |
| Alison | 30 | 1st | Multip | Town, South East | Homebirth |
| Amanda | 38 | 2nd | Multip | Town, South West | Homebirth |
| Alexa | 28 | 4th | Primip | London | Homebirth |
| Abigail | 31 | 1st | Multip | Town, South East | Homebirth |
| Agnes | 30 | 2nd | Primip | Town, North West | Homebirth |
| GROUP 2 – Living in areas with lots of choice | |||||
| Jenny | 30 | 2nd | Primip | City, North West | AMU |
| Julie | NK | 3rd | Primip | London | OU |
| Jude | 28 | 3rd | Multip | Town, East of England | AMU |
| Janice | 34 | 4th | Primip | London | AMU or FMU, possibly home |
| Joyce | 26 | 2nd | Multip | Town, South West | Homebirth |
| Jackie | 28 | 3rd | Primip | Town, South West | Homebirth |
| Joanna | 42 | 3rd | Primip | City, West Midlands | OU |
| Jean | 24 | 3rd | Primip | Town, East of England | OU |
| GROUP 3 – Living in areas with limited choice | |||||
| Rachel | 34 | 2nd | Primip | Town, South West | Homebirth, possibly FMU |
| Rebecca | 30 | 2nd | Primip | Town, West Midlands | Homebirth, possibly AMU |
| Ruby | 32 | 2nd | Primip | Village, North West | OU |
| Rosie | 34 | 2nd | Multip | Town, South East | Homebirth |
| Rita | 35 | 2nd | Primip | Village, South East | Homebirth |
| Roberta | 32 | 1st | Primip | Village, South East | FMU |
| Rona | 38 | 3rd | Multip | Town, South West | Homebirth |
| GROUP 4 - First time mothers | |||||
| Mandy | 31 | 1st | Primip | Town, South East | AMU |
| Maria | 33 | 5th | Primip | London | FMU |
| Mabel | 36 | 2nd | Primip | Town, East of England | AMU (27 miles, not nearest) |
| Mina | 33 | 4th | Primip | City, Yorkshire & Humber | OU/AMU |
| Mae | 27 | 1st | Primip | Village, South East | AMU or FMU |
| Maggie | 32 | 5th | Primip | Town, North East | OU |
| GROUP 5 – Living close to an FMU | |||||
| Kirsten | 26 | 4th | Multip | Town, South West | FMU |
| Karolina | 35 | 5th | Multip | City, South West | FMU |
| Keira | 35 | 5th | Multip | City, South West | AMU or FMU |
| Katrina | NK | 5th | Multip | Town, South East | AMU or FMU |
| Kylie | 27 | 1st | Multip | Town, South East | AMU |
| Kathryn | 34 | 2nd | Primip | City, South West | AMU |
| Kim | 36 | 1st | Primip | Village, South East | FMU |
| Kerry | 30 | 2nd | Primip | Village, South East | AMU |
| Kate | 35 | 1st | Primip | Village, North West | FMU |
| GROUP 6 – Opt-out AMU areas | |||||
| Clare | 32 | 1st | Primip | City, Yorkshire & Humber | OU |
| Charlotte | 34 | 4th | Primip | City, West Midlands | AMU |
| Chloe | 39 | 3rd | Multip | City, North West | AMU |
| Courtney | 32 | 4th | Primip | City, North West | AMU |
| Clara | 35 | 5th | Primip | City, North West | AMU |
| Chantel | 38 | 4th | Multip | Town, East Midlands | OU |
| Carmen | 29 | 2nd | Primip | City, South West | AMU |
| Carrie | 31 | 4th | Primip | City, South West | AMU |
| Cath | 32 | NK | Primip | Village, East Midlands | AMU |
| Caroline | 32 | 4th | Primip | City, North West | AMU |
| Carla | NK | 1st | Multip | City, North West | OU |
| GROUP 7 (face to face) – Living in disadvantaged areab | |||||
| Ethnicity | Booked for birth in: | ||||
| Yasmin | NK | Black African | Primip | East London | OU (not low risk) |
| Yana | NK | Bengali-speaking | Primip | East London | OU (not low risk) |
| Yadavi | NK | Bengali-speaking | Multip | East London | OU |
| Yavi | NK | Indian | Multip | East London | OU (not low risk) |
| Yelena | NK | Eastern European | Multip | East London | FMU |
| Yusra | NK | NK | Multip | East London | AMU |
| Yihana | NK | Black African | Multip | East London | AMU |
| GROUP 8 - Planning to give birth in an OU | |||||
| Brenda | 23 | 5th | Primip | City, North West | OU |
| Barbara | 29 | 4th | Primip | City, North West | OU |
| Beatrice | 35 | 1st | Multip | Town, South East | OU or Homebirth |
| Bev | 28 | 2nd | Multip | Town, South East | OU or Homebirth |
| Beverley | 35 | 4th | Primip | City, South West | OU |
| Bobbi | 29 | 2nd | Multip | City, South West | OU |
| Bree | 33 | 1st | Multip | Town, South East | OU |
| Belinda | 32 | 4th | Multip | Town, South East | OU |
| Bridget | 35 | 3rd | Multip | City, South West | OU |
| Bonnie | 39 | 4th | Multip | London | OU |
| Betty | 25 | 2nd | Primip | Town, South West | OU |
a Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) quintile: 1st = most disadvantaged, 5th = most advantaged
b Participants recruited through local women’s support group and not pre-screened by the researchers