A home visit program for pregnant youth in a poor urban area in Sao Paulo, Brazil

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Anna Chiesa, Lislaine Fracolli, Euripedes Miguel and Guilherme Polanczik

University of Sao Paulo, Brazil

: J Nurs Patient Care

Abstract

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Through a Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT), the project tests for the first time in Latin America a novel, intensive nurse home visitation program for first-time pregnant youth living in poor urban areas between 8 and 16 weeks pregnancy until the baby is 12 months old. The program is inspired by two well-studied interventions (Nurse Family Partnership and Minding the Baby) but was tailored to the socio-cultural aspects and to the health system organization of a developing country. The project further innovates by focusing on the biological underpinnings of the positive environmental stimuli promoted by the intervention by measuring repeatedly neurophysiological indicators of brain maturation, which has not been done previously in the field. The program is supported by self-efficacy theory (Bandura), bioecological theory (Brofenbrenner) and attachment theory (Bowlby and Ainsworth). The intervention is based on: (1) Health and social care: Psychoeducation regarding maternal and child health. Also, the nurse encourages the participant to seek for health care and social services when it is needed. (2) Environmental health: The nurse provides support to identify resources to guarantee adequate living conditions, safe housing, day care and school, access to health services. (3) Life course: Life course planning to help participants achieve goals such as finish high school, find a part-time job and postpone the birth of a second child. The needs and goals of the participants are discussed individually and it is always respected. (4) Parenting skills: Intervention on parenting skills and behaviors. At the conference we intend to share the structure and instruments developed for the interventions as well as preliminary data of impact that are being collected till date.

Biography

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Anna Chiesa Graduated in Nursing at the University of São Paulo (1981), degree in Public Health from the University of São Paulo (1982), Masters (1994) and Doctorate (1999) in Public Health at the University of São Paulo and Collective Health by USP (2005). Associate Professor of the Department of Nursing in Collective Health of EESUP. Post Doctor internship at Florence Nightingale School of Nursing and Midwifery, Kings College London (2011). Academic and Professional experience in Nursing, with emphasis on Health Promotion, Child Development, Family Health, Child Health and Health Education. Technical Consultant of Fundação Maria Cecília Souto Vidigal. Leader of the research group Tecnoassistential Models and Health Promotion. Member at the Scientific Committee of the Nucleus Science for Childhood. Scholarship Producer in Technological Development and Innovative Extension since 2010.