Abstract
There is an urgent need to improve the dissemination of nutrition information to a target group of pregnant women and would-be pregnant women to promote personal initiatives for proper nutrition during pregnancy. This curriculum project reinforces nutrition information on pregnant women and mothers for them to carry out a healthy pregnancy. The curriculum project uses education game design.
Overview
Maternal and child malnutrition is the underlying cause of 3.5 million fatalities. They are also responsible for about 35 percent morbidity in young children of less than 5 years, as well as 11% of “Disability-adjusted Life Years (DALYs)” across the globe. Lack of sufficient minerals like zinc and vitamin A are the main causes of the disease burden in children. This calls for quick intervention measures to curb the rise in deaths and illnesses that emanate from nutritional deficiencies (Black, et al., 2008).
A study by Wheeler and Chapman-Novakofsk (2014) shows that the theory of planned behavior (TPB) variables of expectancy beliefs are useful in predicting Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program participants’ intention to consume soymilk. It shows that when applied well, the theory can inform an intervention program’s content such that it is effective in influencing a desired change of behavior. Similar to the Wheeler and Chapman-Novakofsk (2014) study, this project is health-related and targets women as stakeholders in WIC health matters. An increase in the understanding of women about nutrition should lead to better choices and increased intra-community discussions (Rossin-Slater, 2013).
Statement of purpose
The purpose of the curriculum project is to improve the current deficit in the dissemination of nutritional information at community clinics catering to mothers and pregnant women. This project should increase the ability of women to gauge their health during pregnancy and after delivery (Pillitteri, 2013). They should be able to make the right decisions about nutrition so that their pregnancies and their infants have a higher chance of being healthy. The program identifies low-income mothers as the least privileged to get adequate and timely information about nutrition when they are pregnant and when they are nursing newly born babies.
Goals
Overall goal: The goal of this curriculum is to provide pregnant women and mothers with tools that will enable them to carry out healthy pregnancies.
Specific goal: The goal is to promote dialogue and peer mentorship among women to improve the delivery of conventional women’s health education.
Objectives
- Participating mothers will be able to discuss the benefits of having a healthy body weight by the end of the session.
- Pregnant women will be able to list the nutrients that are required for the increased needs of mothers and babies during pregnancy by the end of the session.
- By the end of the session, expectant mothers will be able to identify the consequences of maternal malnutrition.
Behavior Objective (Impact Objective)
Pregnant women who were taken through the teachings should be able to come up with personal interventions of initiating dialogue with other women. An increase in dialogue and particular expressions of knowledge about malnutrition, nutrient deficiency, and fetal malformation will be the impact outcomes of the lessons.
Outline of content
- An introduction of participants, facilitator and nutrition facts
- The teaching of lessons as planned in the curriculum
- Evaluation of lessons and participants through feedback and testing
- Remarks for application and improvement of teachings
Methods/Strategies/Learning Opportunities
The transtheoretical model relies on instruments developed from over 35 years of scientific research and intervention development. Therefore, it has a high probability of working in many settings (Gilbert, Sawyer, & McNeil, 2014). It follows stages of change to ensure that the desired outcome arises. The steps include pre-contemplation where participants are not ready. Contemplation follows, where participants are getting ready. There is the preparation phase, which gets participants ready. The action phase then occurs, which influences knowledge and behavior change interventions. Lastly, there is the maintenance stage (Billings & Halstead, 2012).
Women have an opportunity to learn about their problems as a community and then see how nutritional information fits into solutions they create and those offered by health interventions (Ricci & Kyle, 2009). The program is likely to succeed in influencing long-term knowledge and influencing behavior change because of its use of education game methodology. In the process of designing and teaching the learning games, the facilitator also learns about the community to help in the program review and correct the program’s shortcomings.
Activities
Naming foods, the question of the day exercise, icebreakers, think-pair-share exercises and jigsaw puzzle.
List of Available Resources and Materials
Resources from the Internet will include pamphlets, videos about nutrition and general information from websites by various WIC-related agencies, such as local and national departments of health. A community clinic will offer the venue and assisting personnel.
Blok plan
Evaluation
The jigsaw puzzle will be part of the evaluation. Participants answer with an example, a question on the three basic nutrients that they need during pregnancy and breastfeeding. The question and answer session with a presentation of various chats, pictures, and information on nutrition. Asking participants questions about what they have learned. Participants will also help the facilitator in identifying appropriate targets for initiating dialogue on nutrition information based on what they have learned (Cowen & Moorhead, 2011). Successful identification of nutrients needed by pregnant women will imply the success of the program.
References
Billings, D. M., & Halstead, J. A. (2012). Teaching in nursing: A guide for faculty. St. Louis, MO: Elsevier Saunders.
Black, R. E., Allen, L. H., Bhutta, Z. A., Caulfield, L. E., Onis, M. D., Ezzati, M.,… Rivera, J. (2008). Maternal and child undernutrition: Global and regional exposures and health consequences. Maternal and Child Undernutrition 1, 5- 22. Web.
Cowen, P. S., & Moorhead, S. (2011). Current issues in nursing (8th ed.). St, Louis: Mosby Elsevier.
Gilbert, G. G., Sawyer, R. G., & McNeil, E. B. (2014). Health Education: Creating strategies for school & community health. (4th ed.). Burlington, MA: Jones and Bartlett Learning.
Pillitteri, A. (2013). Maternal and child health nursing: Care of the childbearing & childrearing family (7th ed.). New York, NY: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.
Ricci, S. S., & Kyle, T. (2009). Maternity and pediatric nursing. Philadelphia, PA: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.
Rossin-Slater, M. (2013). WIC in Your Neighborhood: New Evidence on the Impacts of Geographic Access to Clinics. Journal of Public Economics, 1(102), 51–69.
Wheeler, A., & Chapman-Novakofski, K. (2014). Women Infant and Children program participants’ beliefs and consumption of soy milk: Application of the Theory of Planned Behavior. Nutrition Research Practice, 8(1), 66–73.