Project Summary
Prenatal care is a complex phenomenon that requires expert knowledge and education from field experts in order to provide women with the tools and resources that are necessary to impact their own health and the health of their unborn children in a positive manner. Furthermore, the post-partum stage also requires a significant understanding of its challenges and the opportunities that are available to support women who are unsure of what happens next post-partum. There is a significant need to address the lack of public education and knowledge regarding the stages of pregnancy and how they impact women’s health and wellbeing; therefore, it is necessary to develop a framework that will be successful in educating women regarding what to anticipate during pregnancy and in the post-partum period. The topic of health literacy is not examined as frequently as it should in today’s society; therefore, it is a recommended topic of discussion for women who are currently pregnant or who are planning to get pregnant. Women must be able to care for themselves and their unborn children and support an environment in which they aim to be respectful of the pregnancy and post-partum states. Health educators must be able to provide valuable education and information beyond the prenatal visit so that women possess the ability to make positive decisions that will improve their health and also reduce any potential risks that are associated with the unborn child that may impact his or her birth and future health and wellbeing.
Project Description: Rationale
Public health experts must consider the ability to educate expectant and new mothers from a variety of backgrounds in order to evaluate their needs and to be successful in expanding knowledge and resources for these women. This process also demonstrates a high level understanding and awareness of the different constructs of care and the creation of new programs to accommodate patients to achieve healthy pregnancies. This process requires knowledge that goes above and beyond the standard prenatal visit, as this does not offer the type of approach that is necessary to achieve the desired pregnancy outcomes.
In particular, women who possess a risk during pregnancy of one or more types require further attention and focus so that they are able to accomplish the desired objectives and to understand the challenges that are evident in maintaining a healthy pregnancy. This process encourages the development of educational programs that will foster knowledge and ensure that the appropriate resources are met and achieved in a timely manner. It is important to identify specific resources that might be useful to educators in providing public health-based pregnancy knowledge and information to expectant mothers so that they are able to take the steps that are required to improve their own health and to be cognizant of their behaviors at all times.
Many women who are pregnant do not possess adequate information in regards to behaviors that will enable them to make smart and practical choices regarding their own health, which in turn, impacts their children. These areas must be considered as part of a larger framework that requires public health educators to identify areas of weakness with pregnant women and the behaviors that may be questionable or inappropriate and that could ultimately harm their children in different ways. A comprehensive education program is a critical need in many communities because women who receive prenatal visits that in inconsistent and do not receive any other type of attention from healthcare providers are likely to experience a variety of challenges that will ultimately impact their health and wellbeing in different ways. Therefore, they must be able to recognize the value of these opportunities and to be aware that their behaviors may exacerbate issues for their unborn children. Therefore, this process requires a high level understanding of the issues that will enable nurses to exercise a high level of success in treating patients effectively.
Objectives
The primary objectives of public health providers is to examine the issues that impact pregnant women across all age groups that could be a product of negative behaviors and other issues that are likely to significantly influence prenatal care and treatment for some patients. It is the responsibility of healthcare providers to be proactive in aiming to overcome challenges that many patients face, such as lack of prenatal care or a limited understanding of the type of behaviors that are appropriate during pregnancy. As a result, some women are willing to take the risk of using alcohol during pregnancy, which may contribute to many negative outcomes for their unborn children (Peadon et.al, 2011). In this context, it is important to identify the tools and resources that are available to provide education to others and to be cognizant of the issues that women experience that may limit their ability to have a healthy pregnancy (Peadon et.al, 2011). Educating women regarding the risks associated with pregnancy and related behaviors is a critical step in enabling them to seek medical attention on a regular basis and to be proactive in achieving positive behaviors more consistently (Peadon et.al, 2011).
Study Design
The proposed study design will examine the different aspects education that are necessary to meet the needs of individual pregnant patients who possess varying levels of need. This process requires a high level understanding and focus in regards to patient care and in determining the most feasible option in order to accomplish the study objectives. An interview method will be used post-education in order to determine if the pregnancy education that is received has any impact on the decisions that pregnant women make throughout this stage. It is believed that knowledge regarding the needs of this patient population must be addressed more effectively and must provide a basis for examining the different constructs of care and treatment that pregnant women must receive in order to support successful pregnancies as best as possible. The interview approach will take place post-participation in the pregnancy education program and will identify attitudes, perceptions and beliefs regarding the education and if it is sufficient to meet their needs effectively. It is anticipated that the study design will ultimately determine its effectiveness in modifying behaviors to improve health as effectively as possible.
Ethical Considerations
For the proposed study, it is evident that public health programs must be utilized properly in order to educate pregnant women regarding the risks associated with this practice (Blas & Kurup, 2010). From an ethical perspective, it is important to identify the tools and resources that are required to address the opportunities that are available to have a lasting impact on paients (Blas & Kurup, 2010). Public health programmatic effects must be appropriate and consistent with the needs of female patient who are pregnant and who also require prenatal care and education in a comprehensive manner (Blas & Kurup, 2010). The study must demonstrate a high level of ethical understanding and support for patients, including the capture of their personal information in a confidential manner. This study requires an ethical framework because it supports the development of educational programs that possess an ethically responsible and appropriate context in order to meet the needs of women who are participants in the educational intervention. With success, this model may be adapted to other population groups in order to improve health and wellbeing during pregnancy for a larger group for individuals; however, this requires an ethically appropriate protocol and set of objectives so as not to compromise patients in different ways that could impact outcomes for this study population, both now and future settings.
Methodology
The proposed methodology will consider the issues that are most significant in addressing the needs of pregnant women to improve their overall health during pregnancy. The procedure will involve an interview to be conducted post-educational intervention that will aim to determine if pregnancy education is effective in addressing behavioral challenges that already impact patients in different ways. The questionnaire will be semi-structured in nature and will provide a set of standardized questions that will be asked of all participants. However, their answers may be flexible in nature and may determine where other issues and discussion topics are necessary. As a result, the study must be able to examine a number of challenges that may have a significant impact on patient care and on creating an environment that is conducive to successful patient care and related outcomes.
Data Management and Statistical Analysis
In order to determine whether or not the data derived from the study is useful, it is necessary to develop a strategy to conduct data analysis that is appropriate and timely, in consideration of the study population and their specific needs. A statistical analysis program such as SPSS or an equivalent will be used to analyze the data that is derived. The data analysis portion of the study will ultimately determine if the proposed program is a success or if additional work is required to ensure that it is effective in meeting the needs of a larger group of patients, including those from diverse backgrouns.
Expected Outcomes of the Study
With the proposed study, it is important to identify how pregnant women respond to education in order to improve their prenatal and post-partum health. This data will provide a basis for examining future studies and for the development of new ideas that will generate interest from nurses and other public health officials in order to accomplish the desired objectives in a timely manner. Since education is critical throughout pregnancy, it is necessary to evaluate these conditions and to make sense of its context so that behavioral changes might occur in women in order to improve their health and overall wellbeing over time. These changes may include alcohol and smoking abstinence, healthy eating, and physical activity that will positively impact pregnant women during this highly vulnerable and very difficult stage of the life span.
- Blas, E., & Kurup, A. S. (Eds.). (2010). Equity, social determinants and public health
programmes. World Health Organization. - Peadon, E., Payne, J., Henley, N., D’antoine, H., Bartu, A., O’Leary, C., … & Elliott, E. J. (2011).
Attitudes and behaviour predict women’s intention to drink alcohol during pregnancy: the challenge for health professionals. BMC public health, 11(1), 584.
