Health Program Outline

Health Program Outline for: A Mothers Right Advocating for Pregnant Women of a
Low Socioeconomic Status
Kyle Dillman
kdillman@liberty.edu
Liberty University HLTH 634/DO1

Health Program Outline

Title
A Mothers Right
Author
Kyle Dillman
Problem/Need Statement
Adequate health care during pregnancy is often difficult for women of a low
socioeconomic status to obtain, leading to higher rates of fetal death, pregnancy
complications, negative health effects for the mother and/or infant, birth defects, and
possible premature delivery. These women also tend to lack a strong support system, and
while they may be aware of certain risk factors they do not always engage in behavior
change because there is a lack of comprehensive programs to support and encourage such
modifications that should be made during pregnancy.1,2 A Mothers Right will work to
provide information about health centers/organizations that can provide care to these
women (no matter income or health insurance status) as well as provide educational
classes free of cost to help these women learn how to care for themselves during
pregnancy.
Goals and Objectives
Goal 1 To increase the amount of pregnant women of a low socioeconomic status who
attend educational programs about prenatal/pregnancy care.
Objective 1 By December 2017 there will be a 30% increase in women of a low
socioeconomic status attending comprehensive educational programs measured by
attendance records of such classes and surveys.
Goal 2 To increase the number of pregnant women of a low socioeconomic status who
receive adequate medical care
Objective 2 By December 2017 there will be a 30% increase in women of a low
socioeconomic status receiving appropriate medical care throughout their pregnancy
measured by doctors offices and surveys.
Sponsoring agency/Contact person
Contact person Kyle Dillman (kdillman@liberty.edu)
Sponsoring agency Planned Parenthood (www.plannedparenthood.org)
Primary target audience
Pregnant women of a low socioeconomic status are the primary target audience in this
intervention:
1. Behavioral want to make a difference for their unborn child, while these women
may not have the necessary means to gain adequate healthcare for themselves and their
baby they should want to be able to do everything that they can in order to deliver a

Reference 1
Reference 2

Health Program Outline

healthy child
2. Cultural are not of a specific religion, ethnicity, or generational status, this could be
any women from any different background that struggles with a way to find healthcare
for herself and her unborn child
3. Demographic are of a lower income household who do not have a stable job or have
a job that does not support them and their unborn child to receive adequate healthcare,
also women who are not adequately educated and do not know the basics of prenatal
care
4. Physical are (women) of any age while they are pregnant, they can have any kind of
background or physical issues
5. Psychographic should want to better their life for themselves and their child, they do
not need to follow certain beliefs but overall should have a positive outlook on life and
health and want the absolute best for both themselves and their unborn baby
Primary target key strategies
The main goal here is to reach the primary audience through education first; to make
them aware of educational classes and medical care that is available to them through
brochures/flyers/websites/blogs (advertised on radio stations, news papers, located in
health centers, local businesses/community centers that have advertising space). Once
they learn about what options they have, and how they can attend such classes or make
appointments to health centers/organizations (even if they do not have insurance) they
will hopefully follow through with such acts. When those from the primary group attend
these classes and appointments they will then be encouraged to change risky behaviors
that could have potential negative affects on their health as well as their growing infants
health. Barriers that these women may face is not having adequate transportation to such
classes or appointments and spending time going to such things. However, the benefits
of a better quality of life for themselves and their infant should outweigh the potential
barriers.
Secondary target audience
The secondary audience consists of those who are most important to the primary
audience, and have regular communication with them. It could be a coworker, friend,
family member, spouse, etc. Essentially anyone in the primary target audiences life who
would see the information and feel comfortable enough to share it with them and be
willing to help them make behavior changes to better their health during pregnancy.
Secondary target key strategies
Reaching the secondary target audience is similar to how the primary audience will be
reached in that it starts with education. Members of this group will be targeted by the
same brochures/flyers/websites/blogs in hopes that they will read them and pass along the
information learned in them to the women in their lives who are pregnant and of a low
socioeconomic status. Once sharing the information by word of mouth or giving the
actual brochure/flyer web link to women of the primary target group the secondary target
group can continue to be a part of behavior change by supporting these women in all
aspects such as transportation, helping to talk things through with them, and being a
general shoulder to lean on through the process. For this group barriers that may occur

Health Program Outline

are that they simply may lose some of their personal time in order to help the women in
their life who are of the primary target group, but they would be benefiting by helping
these women to make behavior changes that would help them and their infant to have an
overall better quality of life. Their role is simple yet powerful in that it can have a major
influence on the primary target group.
Pretest strategy
The intervention will be pretested by handing out brochures/flyers to a sample of women
who fall into the primary target group, stakeholders, and fellow community members (of
the Harrisburg, PA area) as well as a sample educational class will be held for
stakeholders and community members so that they can see what an actual class will
entail. From there each person who was given a brochure/flyer or attended the sample
educational class will take a survey that measures what they gained, what they thought
could be improved upon, what they would change, and so forth. From there appropriate
changes will be made according to the survey results.
Theoretical foundation
For this particular health communications intervention Diffusion of Innovations Theory
will be used as a framework. Diffusion of innovations theory addresses how new ideas,
products, and social practices spread within a society or from one society to another.3 In
this situation this theory works because the focus is not on a small group or an individual,
but a rather on introducing a new idea to a large social group. This theory also works
well with this intervention because it allows for communication from both those who are
persuading as well as the participants, listening to the thoughts and concerns of these
women is going to help diffuse the overall behavior goal more so if they are able to talk
and be listened to.
Management chart
Weekly
Team meetings with all
staff involved (for
volunteers who cannot
make it meeting notes
will be emailed). (Run
by program/intervention
manager)

Bi Weekly
Educational classes will be held
bi-weekly, each class focusing
on different stages, concerns,
risk factors, etc. of pregnancy.
(Held by volunteer medical
personnel)

Updating websites/blogs Surveys that are given at the

(Program/intervention
end of each educational class.
manager)
(Given by medical personnel)

Reference 3

Monthly
Survey local health
centers/organizations to see
if their numbers have gone
up (how many pregnant
women they have seen
compared to months
before)
(Program/intervention
manager)
Check local hospitals for
new updates on fetal death
rates.
(Program/intervention
manager)

Health Program Outline

Prepping for educational Print any additional
classes. (Volunteer
brochures/flyers that are needed,
medical personnel)
and post them where they are
needed. (Program/intervention
manager)

5
Check in solely with
volunteer medical
personnel who are running
the classes to see how
things are running, and if
any changes need to be
made.
(Program/intervention
manager)

Budget
One-year projection of costs associated with advertising and promotion
o Brochures/flyers/websites/blogs - $1,000
o Advertising on radio stations and in news papers - $4,000
o Total budget - $5,000
Budget justifications
o Brochures/flyers/websites/ blogs will help to get the information out to the public
o Majority of the budget is on advertising to help spread the word and get both the
primary and secondary audience to listen and to take the first step in making
behavior change
Resources required
o Any resources/equipment used for the educational classes will be already owned
from health organizations or hospitals where the classes will be held
o Medical professionals who are teaching the classes will be volunteers
o Supplies (paper, printing, ink,) used for brochures/flyers/websites/blogs will be
included in the listed budget for such items
o Women will have to rely on public transportation, themselves or family/friends to
get a ride to such classes or health centers/organizations
Issues of concern/potential problems
Potential problems that could occur would be that the information from the
brochures/flyers/websites/blogs do not reach the primary or secondary population,
meaning that they do not seek out the educational programs or health
centers/organizations that could help them to receive proper medical care. Other issues
could be that the information that reaches these women is not enough to convince them to
attend such classes or health centers/organizations, they have absolutely no type of
transportation, or that they may have had negative experiences with medical care in the
past due to judgment (race, income, lifestyle, etc.) or not having health insurance.
Another potential issue would be not being able to find medical personnel who would be
willing to volunteer to teach the educational classes, which could greatly affect the
outcome of the health communication program. Overall, if the information does not
reach these women, they choose not to use it effectively, or medical staff personnel are
not willing to volunteer the intervention will most likely not show any positive results.
Evaluation strategies

Health Program Outline

Formative and Process

For this specific health intervention program the CDC Evaluation Framework will be
used, specifically because it puts a large emphasis on including the stakeholders and
hearing their ideas and concerns. In a study that focuses on such a sensitive population it
is important to here what stakeholders of that area have to say, they may make the
difference between a successful program and a program that fails. Within this framework
there are six steps, engage stakeholders, describe the program, focus the evaluation,
gather credible evidence, justify conclusions, ensure use and share lessons
learned.4 These six steps also follow a circle format, which represents an ongoing
process, and that works well for this intervention because if the program is evaluated
and certain things need adjusted it can be fixed and then evaluated again representing the
continuous nature.4 For example if the program implements brochures, and flyers first
and then after evaluation finds that they did not reach enough of the population, then
perhaps a website would be included to reach more of the target group and then the
intervention would be evaluated again. Overall, this framework would work well
because of its focus on the stakeholders, and because it allows for additions to the
intervention and reevaluation.
Summative (outcome and impact)
Bi weekly after each class a survey will be given to the women who attend in order to see
what they have learned throughout that class, as well as what they have learned up to that
point (if they have attended every class). There will also be a monthly check by the
project manager who will survey local health centers/organizations to see if their traffic
of pregnant women have increased compared to prior months and they will check local
hospitals for any public updates on fetal death rates or complications. After a year data
will be collected on how many women attended the educational classes compared to
previous classes without as much advertisement, and how fetal death rates compare to the
fetal death rates a year ago. Overall the evaluation will show whether or not significant
changes have been made, and what adjustments need to be made to improve upon and
continue positive behavior changes in pregnant women of a low socioeconomic status.

Reference 4

Health Program Outline

7
References

1. Byrd-Craven J, Massey AR. Lean on me: effects of social support on low

socioeconomic-status pregnant women. Nursing and Health Sciences. 2013;15(3): 374378. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com.ezproxy.liberty.edu/doi/10.1111/nhs.12043/full.
Accessed November 11, 2016.
2. Harelick L, Viola D, Tahara D. Preconception health of low socioeconomic status
women: assessing knowledge and behaviors. Womens Health Issues. 2011; 21(4): 272276.
3. Making Health Communication Programs Work. Appendix B. U.S. Department of
Health & Human Services: National Institutes of Health, National Cancer Institute Web
site. https://www.cancer.gov/publications/health-communication/pink-book.pdf.
Accessed November 17, 2016.
4. Parvanta, CF, Nelson DE, Parvanta SA, Harner RN. Essentials of Public Health
Communication. Burlington, MA. Jones & Bartlett Learning; 2011.