Prenatal health programs and public health promotion provide strategies to mitigate modifiable risks to pregnancy. Women marginalized by race/ethnicity, disability, sexual identity, socioeconomic status, immigration, Francophone and Indigenous status experience barriers to prenatal service access. Multijurisdictional program evaluations were conducted to review prenatal health promotion, design, implementation and evaluation strategies for Canadian government-hosted websites, prenatal e-classes and international prenatal guidance documents. Gaps were noted in prenatal content targeted to non-Anglophone, immigrant, Indigenous and disabled women and LGBTQ communities. I recommend that prenatal program best practices consist of evidence-based, theoretical foundations which recognize the diverse interacting determinants of health across the lifespan. Intersectoral collaborations and integration of public health into primary care facilitates delivery of accessible, inclusive, woman-centred services. These best practices are anticipated to help harmonize prenatal programs across communities, which optimize maternal-child health and children’s long-term health outcomes.

Studies have reported that the most trusted health care relationship is that of the prenatal healthcare professionals (PHPs) and the prenatal patient. Yet many of the patient’s environmental health questions go unanswered for a variety of reasons. To better understand the situation, this research examines environmental health education practices of PHPs – obstetricians, prenatal nurses, family physicians, midwives and doulas - offered during the preconception and prenatal period. Specifically, this thesis discusses some of the PHP self-reported opportunities and barriers surrounding the provision of environmental health education (EHE). In person (n=17) and telephone (n=4) interviews were conducted with PHPs in the Ottawa Region. Additionally, a key informant within the Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada (SOGC) was asked specific questions about the association’s role in the development of standardized educational care guidelines. The results show that most PHPs have a limited knowledge of EHE and are reluctant to discuss it without access to more professional research. PHPs feel that there is little professional association support and that guidelines for adding EHE to their current prenatal care plans are non-existent. This study is one of the first studies that uniquely examined EHE in the prenatal period from perspective of prenatal healthcare professionals.

This study, which is focused on addressing the rising prevalence of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) in South Asians begins from the perspective that the development of diabetes has scope across public health and anthropology. The onset and progression are rooted within social determinants of health and cultural practices. Similarly, pregnancy—which is a crucial component of the life course—is a time where not only nutrients are shared between mother and child, but also when knowledge is exchanged, and cultural ways are imparted to the pregnant person from their friends and family. Within the South Asian community of Southern Ontario, recent public health evidence demonstrates a high rate of GDM where 1 in 3 South Asians will develop the condition. Babies born to GDM mothers are of higher birthweight and percent body fat than those of non-GDM mothers. Interventions to prevent GDM are important because GDM itself is a risk factor for postpartum obesity, diabetes, and atherosclerosis in the mother, and also because infants with more adipose tissue are more likely to become insulin resistant in adolescence and develop diabetes and cardiovascular disease as adults. Discussions to strengthen the public health response to this challenge can incorporate evidence-based counselling tools (e.g., easily scalable knowledge translation (KT) tools) that can be used by prenatal clinicians providing primary care. Given that diet and physical activity can be influenced not only by an individual locus of control, but also by familial interactions/networks and cultural/traditional foods and expectations, there is a need to better understand and weave in these experiences. I sought to better understand 1) the prenatal lifestyle counselling experiences of South Asians and their family doctors; and 2) the KT tools that have been designed and used in this population; then I used these learnings to develop and evaluate a conceptually-informed, evidence-based KT tool for pregnant South Asians and their family physicians. This dissertation begins with an introduction of patient and provider experiences with lifestyle change. I then present a systematic review and narrative synthesis of prenatal KT tools designed for South Asians. This is followed by a case report that outlines the process taken to develop a patient-facing and provider-facing KT tool (‘SMART START’). Next, I include the design and evaluation of a mixed methods pilot evaluation study of ‘SMART START.’ Finally, I culminate with an epilogue that ties in lessons learned and challenges that were overcome throughout the conduct of this work. The concluding chapter also includes a link to a video that captures the story behind this dissertation and the documentation of how all the aforementioned pieces are nested within and built upon one another. / Dissertation / Candidate in Philosophy

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Submitted by MARCIA ROVADOSCHI (marciar@unifra.br) on 2018-08-22T14:30:30Z No. of bitstreams: 2 license_rdf: 0 bytes, checksum: d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e (MD5) Dissertacao_ElisianeQuatrinBeck.pdf: 5667398 bytes, checksum: 447ec5f8c89daab9aa4d0fe864873044 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-22T14:30:30Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 2 license_rdf: 0 bytes, checksum: d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e (MD5) Dissertacao_ElisianeQuatrinBeck.pdf: 5667398 bytes, checksum: 447ec5f8c89daab9aa4d0fe864873044 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2017-12-04 / Introduction: Syphilis remains a serious public health problem, with increasing numbers of cases in pregnant women and their partners, which favors the increase of congenital syphilis. This fact demonstrates the need for more effective prevention strategies. Congenital syphilis generates a high financial cost for the health system, besides a great social impact related to the sequels of the disease. Besides these factors, they cause emotional shock to the mothers of newborns with congenital syphilis, justifying the research in this area. Goals: Understanding maternal perceptions of congenital syphilis and the health care of these newborns. As specific objectives: To identify the knowledge of the mothers of newborns with congenital syphilis about the disease; To know the care of the mothers of newborns with congenital syphilis in relation to treatment and monitoring; Creating informational material on congenital syphilis and other Sexually Transmitted Infections, as well as health problems and care of these newborns. Meth-odology: This is a qualitative research of a descriptive nature, developed in a medium-sized hospital in the city of Paranoa / DF, in the period from March to August 2017. Fifteen women, mothers of newborns with congenital syphilis who were in the treatment phase of their children in the hospital's maternity ward participated of the research. Results: The data showed that the interviewees had unfavorable social conditions. Although it is not a disease restricted to the less favored layers, these results indicate a higher social and reproductive vulnerability of these women. The participants of the study reported the performance of prenatal care in the appro-priate period, that is, in the first trimester. Although the data points to an adequate prenatal search, a favorable outcome of syphilis treatment was not assured, generating the diagnosis of Congenital Syphilis in the baby. The complexity of the treatment for congenital syphilis, added to the lack of knowledge about the disease, may explain the limitation of who have recently given birth regarding comprehension and feelings. Product: Booklet with information on Con-genital Syphilis and other Sexually Transmitted Infections to support mothers and their part-ners as well as sexually active adults with the aim of reducing new cases of congenital syphilis and other Sexually Transmitted Infections. Final considerations: With the accomplishment of this work, it was realized that for a better understanding of the measures to prevent the conse-quences of Congenital Syphilis, changes in attitude are necessary in health services. Initially it is suggested that the changes involve proactive actions by the public health system and health professionals. The context of the Network of Health Care can broaden its vision regarding social, economic and health education actions. In this way we can contribute more effectively to achieve better results in the index of cases of congenital syphilis in Brazil. / Introdução: A sífilis permanece como um sério problema de saúde pública, com números crescentes de casos em gestantes e seus parceiros, o que favorece o aumento da sífilis congênita. Esse fato demonstra a necessidade de estratégias de prevenção mais efetivas. A sífilis congênita gera um alto custo financeiro para o sistema de saúde, além de um grande impacto social relacionado às sequelas da doença. Além desses fatores, acarreta abalo emocional às mães de recém-nascidos com sífilis congênita, o que justifica a realização da pesquisa nessa área. Objetivo geral: Compreender as percepções maternas sobre sífilis congênita e os cuidados de saúde dos recém-nascidos com a doença. Como objetivos específicos: Identificar o conhecimento das mães de recém-nascidos portadores de sífilis congênita acerca da doença; Conhecer o cuidado das mães de recém-nascido portador de sífilis congênita em relação ao tratamento e acompanhamento; Criar material informativo sobre sífilis congênita e outras Infecções Sexualmente Transmissíveis, bem como agravos e cuidados à saúde dos recém-nascidos com a doença. Metodologia: Trata-se de pesquisa qualitativa de caráter descritivo, desenvolvida em Hospital de médio porte da cidade satélite Paranoá/DF, no período compreendido entre os meses de março a agosto de 2017. Fizeram parte da pesquisa 15 mulheres, mães de recém-nascidos com sífilis congênita, que estavam em fase de tratamento de seus filhos na maternidade do referido hospital. Resultados: Os dados evidenciaram que as entrevistadas possuíam condições sociais desfavoráveis. Embora não seja uma doença restrita às camadas menos favorecidas, esses resultados sinalizam maior vulnerabilidade social e reprodutiva dessas mulheres. As participantes da pesquisa relataram a realização de pré-natal no período adequado, ou seja, no primeiro trimestre. Embora os dados apontem para uma busca adequada pelo pré-natal, não foi assegurado um desfecho favorável do tratamento da sífilis, gerando o diagnóstico de Sífilis Congênita no bebê. A complexidade do tratamento para sífilis congênita, somada ao desconhecimento sobre a doença, podem explicar a limitação das puérperas quanto à compreensão e sentimentos. Produto: Cartilha com informações sobre Sífilis Congênita e outras Infecções Sexualmente Transmissíveis, visando servir de apoio para orientação das mães e seus parceiros, bem como adultos sexualmente ativos, com o intuito de reduzir novos casos de sífilis congênita e outras Infecções Sexualmente Transmissíveis. Considerações finais: Com a realização deste trabalho, percebeu-se que, para uma melhor compreensão das medidas de prevenção das consequências da Sífilis Congênita, são necessárias mudanças de atitude nos serviços de saúde. Inicialmente, sugere-se que as alterações envolvam ações proativas por parte do sistema de saúde pública e dos profissionais de saúde. O contexto de Rede de Atenção à Saúde pode ampliar sua visão quanto aos aspectos sociais, econômicos e nas ações de educação em saúde. Dessa forma, será possível contribuir mais efetivamente para alcançar melhores resultados no índice de casos de sífilis congênita no Brasil.