Behavioural change intervention for re-framing antenatal education to make “every contact count”

AbstractIssueA trusted source of information, the Baby Buddy webapp was co-created with parents and professionals to support the educational role of maternal healthcare providers. However, providers in Cyprus and elsewhere may not actively engage in antenatal education (AE) to make “every contact count”.Description of ProblemThe impact of Public Health digital interventions can be maximized when adopted in care pathways. To define barriers and enablers in behavioural terms complimentary methods were used guided by the COM-B model and related Theoretical Domains Framework: questionnaire survey (N = 49), focus group (N = 11) and round-table workshops (N = 40) among in-training and registered midwives.ResultsBeliefs about the benefits of AE are strong and viewed as a core function of the professional role, yet not supported nor prioritized by current practice. Many problematic areas relate to organizational context, such as weak interprofessional collaboration and lack of policy, protocols and resources. Medicalization of birth and socio-cultural norms are sustaining alienation of the midwife and conditions of power dynamics. AE was perceived as a means to enhance the autonomy of the profession but the phenomenon is complex and also pertains to perceptions and behaviours of service users. There are also issues with procedural knowledge and the need for skill development was identified.LessonsAs a digital tool, Baby Buddy can enrich the user-provider exchange. However, AE bey...
Source: The European Journal of Public Health - Category: General Medicine Source Type: research