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The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA |
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The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA |
Heidi R Worley, MA, Research, Education & Advocacy, Maternity Care Coalition, 2000 Hamilton Street, Suite 205, Philadelphia, PA 19130, 2159720700, hworley@momobile.org, Andrea Crivelli-Kovach, PhD, CHES, Department of Medical Science and Community Health, Arcadia University, 450 South Easton Road, Glenside, PA 19038, and Julie A. Becker, PhD, MPH, Center for Public Health, Temple University, 2534 Swain Street, Philadelphia, PA 19130.
Welfare reform has created significant changes in the lives of low-income pregnant women. Programs that empower women by fostering job-related skills sets may contribute to a more secure employment pattern among this population. The purpose of the study was to a) evaluate the benefits of the relationship between community health workers and pregnant women, b) analyze the change over time in women?s sense of empowerment as measured by perceived levels of self-sufficiency, self-determination, and decision-making skills, and c) assess the relationship between improved perceptions of job skills and increased measures of empowerment. Focus group interviews with community health workers guided the development of a survey instrument that was tested for reliability and validity. This instrument measured the constructs of empowerment, defined as self-sufficiency, decision-making and self-determination. A pilot study was conducted through the Maternity Care Coalition (MCC), a community-based organization that identifies at-risk pregnant women and provides case management and family support services through its signature program, the MOMobile®. The instrument was administered to pregnant women and new mothers within 30 days of registration, and again at six months for pregnant women, or four months if a woman registered as a new parent. Eighty women completed both surveys. Results revealed a statistically significant difference across the three constructs. Multiple regression showed a strong relationship between clients? perceived job skills and empowerment scores. The strength of these results suggests that fostering programs that improve decision-making skills, self-sufficiency, and self-determination contribute to job-preparedness.
Learning Objectives:
Keywords: Self-sufficiency and Empowerment, Evaluation
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.