| Description |
African-American women are nearly three times more likely to have their infants die before the age of one year (Utah Health Department, 2009). In Utah, 61 % of infant deaths in this population are linked to preterm birth and low birth weights (Utah Health Department, 2009). Additionally, this population has higher percentages of poor attendance to prenatal care appointments and prenatal education classes offered within the community. Despite efforts made by the Utah Department of Health, African-Americans, less than 3 % of the Salt Lake City population, continue to have the highest adverse birth outcomes. The adverse birth outcomes are largely due to a lack of or inadequate prenatal care including prenatal education (The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 2010; Myers, 2011). The purpose of this project was to develop a culturally- specific prenatal curriculum for African-American women in Salt Lake City to be utilized at trusted sites such as faith-based organization (FBOs). This project will be disseminated through Community Faces of Utah (CFU), an organization that utilizes FBOs to provide health education to minority communities. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), education is an important component of prenatal care, particularly for women who are pregnant for the first time. Ideally, this should be provided at every prenatal visit. Due to multiple factors, it cannot be assumed that the prenatal education needs of African-American women are being met during their regular prenatal clinic visits. Previous research has shown that prenatal education classes have a significant impact on maternal knowledge, attitude and satisfaction toward labor, delivery, breastfeeding, nutrition, smoking cessation, and conditions of the postpartum period (Myers, 2010). Studies revealed that family and community are the preferred primary sources for information about pregnancy and childbirth preparation in African-American communities. Previous research on faith- based health promotion programs revealed that FBOs are essential in achieving the public health goals for healthier communities as they have become useful strategies in bringing preventative health care to African-American populations (Carter-Edwards et al., 2012). Implementation included identifying culturally specific content to create the framework for the curriculum, developing a prenatal education curriculum that can be utilized by FBOs in SLC African-American communities, and disseminating the curriculum through CFU and local African -American church leaders. Results of this project were the completion of a prenatal education teacher's manual, a study guide for participates. The health beliefs and cultural practices associated with the perinatal period and childbirth vary among cultural groups. Traditional childbirth programs often reflect mainstream American culture. Offering prenatal education addressing race-specific health concerns in a familiar comfortable environment such as FBOs may impact the willingness of African-Americans to participate. |
