| CODE | MID5007 | ||||||||||||
| TITLE | Public Health and Health Promotion in Midwifery | ||||||||||||
| UM LEVEL | 05 - Postgraduate Modular Diploma or Degree Course | ||||||||||||
| MQF LEVEL | 7 | ||||||||||||
| ECTS CREDITS | 10 | ||||||||||||
| DEPARTMENT | Midwifery | ||||||||||||
| DESCRIPTION | Public health, the discipline that aims to nurture the health of the community, is highly relevant to midwifery care. Pregnancy is the starting point of a new life and healthy ageing begins in the womb. Thus, the preconception, pregnancy and postpartum periods provide an important window of opportunity for public health. By encouraging healthy maternal lifestyles and infant care practices, and through recognising health issues in a timely manner, midwives can make a difference to the well-being of a new generation. The organisation of midwifery care offers significant opportunities for a broad approach to health, focusing on both individual health and a community approach. Health promotion represents an avenue though which public health is fostered in society. Health promotion is an important task for midwives. Midwives often encounter questions like 'how do I encourage my pregnant client to stop smoking' or 'how do I encourage her to pay more attention to foetal movement’. The most obvious solution is to use existing programmes which have been shown to be effective. The results of these programmes are better and safer care, lower cost and more healthy clients. One issue, however, is that programmes have often been developed for a specific target group, such as primipara, or a particular setting, such as disadvantaged neighbourhoods. Is it possible to implement such programmes for other populations or settings without changing them? And how can programmes remain effective if they are changed? Study-unit Aims: - To establish strong theoretical knowledge of the role and function of public health in tackling health inequalities and improving the health of mothers, babies, their families and society at large; and - To develop a critical awareness of the theory, concepts and practical issues relating to health promotion, preparing students to critically evaluate and implement evidence-based health practices related to midwifery. Learning Outcomes: 1. Knowledge & Understanding By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - Reflect on the theoretical basis for public health and health promotion; - Develop an in-depth understanding of the role of the midwife in the protection and promotion of health of women, babies, families and communities; - Identify and explore inequalities in maternity care provision and the political and cultural influences underpinning these, and critically assess how these may be addressed; - Appreciate the main approaches that can be used to implement health promotion practices at individual, community, and policy development levels; - Demonstrate an awareness of global approaches to health promotion concerning maternity and infant care; - Reflect on the application of health promotion in the context of their own professional practice; and - Appreciate challenges to implementing change posed by the political, cultural and socio-economic environment within which midwives work. 2. Skills By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - Critically appraise public health issues related to midwifery; - Identify the necessity for evaluation of health promotion interventions; - Describe the methods used to evaluate the success or otherwise of health promotion practices in a variety of settings; and - Develop strategies to address an area of health need, applying and critiquing an appropriate theoretical framework and incorporating an evaluation plan. Main Text/s and any supplementary readings: Main Texts: - Bowden, J., & Manning, V. (Eds.) (2016). Health promotion in midwifery: Principles and practice (3rd edition). CRC Press. - Marshall, J., Baston, H. & Hall, J. (2019). Midwifery essentials: Public health (Vol. 7). Elsevier Health Sciences. Supplementary Readings: - Dunkley, J. (2000). Health promotion in midwifery: A resource for health professionals. Bailliere Tindall. - Edwards, G. & Byrom, S. (Eds.) (2007). Essential midwifery practice: Public health. Blackwell. - Jones, L., & Douglas, J. (Eds.) (2012). Public health: Building innovative practice. SAGE Publications. - Marmot, M. (2015). The health gap: The challenge of an unequal world. Bloomsbury Publishing. - Naidoo, J., Wills, J., & Sc, M. (2016). Foundations for health promotion (4th edition). Elsevier. - Nutland, W. & Cragg, L. (Eds.) (2015). Health promotion practice (2nd edition). Open University Press. - Somerville, M., Kumaran, K., & Anderson, R. (2016). Public health and epidemiology at a glance (2nd edition). Wiley Blackwell. |
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| STUDY-UNIT TYPE | Lecture, Ind Study, Group Learning and Tutorials | ||||||||||||
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| LECTURER/S | Josephine Attard Norma Josephine Buttigieg Stefan Buttigieg Michelle Cilia Christie Hili (Co-ord.) Petra Jones |
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The University makes every effort to ensure that the published Courses Plans, Programmes of Study and Study-Unit information are complete and up-to-date at the time of publication. The University reserves the right to make changes in case errors are detected after publication.
The availability of optional units may be subject to timetabling constraints. Units not attracting a sufficient number of registrations may be withdrawn without notice. It should be noted that all the information in the description above applies to study-units available during the academic year 2024/5. It may be subject to change in subsequent years. |
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