The experiences of women participants and resource mothers with the Healthy Baby Club model of prenatal support

• Main Author: Nugent, Patricia M.
• Format: Thesis
• Language: English
• Published: Memorial University of Newfoundland 1999
• Subjects: Newfoundland
• Online Access: https://research.library.mun.ca/833/; https://research.library.mun.ca/833/1/Nugent_PatriciaMMercer.pdf; https://research.library.mun.ca/833/3/Nugent_PatriciaMMercer.pdf

Background Low birth weight (LB W) is a major public health issue and challenge today; The Canadian Institute of Child Health (1993) indicates that 17% of all infants born worldwide are of low birth weight. In 1995 Canada reported that 5.7% of all births were of LBW while Newfoundland and Labrador's rate was 5.5%. The cause of LBW is multi-factorial and some contributing factors for example smoking and nutrition are modifiable. Early entry and length of participation in prenatal programs are also key factors. Traditional prenatal programs have failed to meet the needs of vulnerable women and their families. The Healthy Baby Club Model of Prenatal Support was developed and implemented in Newfoundland and Labrador to meet the identified needs of these vulnerable pregnant women, to increase the length of prenatal care by reducing barriers to participation and, ultimately, to reduce the rate of LBW. -- Aim Satisfying experiences of women participants in the program will likely increase compliance with both prenatal and postnatal care. This study was undertaken to describe the experiences of women participants and resource mothers with the Healthy Baby Clubs in Newfoundland based on an integration of health promotion and population health theoretical frameworks. -- Methods This was a descriptive study using 48 women participants and 11 resource mothers for the study period yielding a total of 59 participants. Data collection took place between December 1997 and June 1998 and involved site visits to the nine Healthy Baby Clubs across the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador. Two structured interview questionnaires were developed by the investigator: (1) Survey of Women Participants in the HBC which consisted of 41 questions and, (2) Survey of Resource Mothers in the HBC that included 37 questions. Each questionnaire took approximately 35 minutes to administer and captured both quantitative and qualitative data. Personal interviews were carried out with the women participants (n=48) who participated in the Healthy ...