Effects of a school nurse prenatal counseling program

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Maternal Health
• Nursing Education

Background:

• Adolescent pregnancy presents unique challenges to accessing consistent prenatal care.
• School-based health programs can bridge gaps in healthcare for student populations.
• Early and adequate prenatal care is crucial for positive maternal and infant outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of a school-based, nurse-run prenatal counseling program.
• To assess the impact of the program on the adequacy of prenatal care received by student mothers.
• To compare prenatal care utilization between program participants and a matched control group.

Main Methods:

• A case-control study design was employed using state live birth certificate data from 1985-1987.
• Cases (student mothers in the program) were matched with controls (non-enrolled mothers in the same community) on eight criteria.
• McNemar's test was utilized to compare the proportion of adequate prenatal care between the case and control groups.

Main Results:

• A significantly higher percentage of cases (program participants) received adequate prenatal care compared to the control group.
• The study identified a positive association between the school-based program and improved prenatal care utilization.
• Infant birth weights were implicitly linked to prenatal care adequacy, though not directly analyzed as an outcome.

Conclusions:

• School-based, nurse-run prenatal counseling programs are effective in increasing adequate prenatal care among student mothers.
• These programs represent a viable strategy for enhancing maternal and infant health outcomes in adolescent populations.
• Integrating healthcare services within educational settings can improve access and adherence to essential prenatal services.