Preparation for birth as a health-promoting measure by midwives is a low threshold offering in health care provision. At the same time it represents an opportunity to offer individual support, help, advice and networking to socially disadvantaged pregnant women and girls that begins earlier on, i.e. starting during pregnancy.

The research project is based on the finding that, generally speaking, these women and girls in particular make inadequate use of health promotion offerings. So, such question should be asked: which information channels do socially disadvantaged women and girls use and in which way should the service be designned in order to let them feel themselves addressed by it?

The aim of the study is to identify the demands and wishes of socially disadvantaged women and girls in respect of specifically adapted preparation for birth, in order to design the services more attractively and beneficially for the target group.

Their viewpoints, experiences and needs are recorded by way of open interviews (n=30). In addition, expert interviews are conducted among family midwives, as well as an analysis of the communications channels and strategies that midwives and health care institutions use to reach socially disadvantaged pregnant women and girls with services to prepare them for birth.

The results of the research will lead to recommendations for a target group-specific approach to pregnant women and girls. Besides it should be created a basis for the conceptual development of a low threshold and networked offering of health promotion through midwives, which can be used in particular for targeted support in making a good start in family formation and to support parental competence. By involving young mothers in the concept development and public relations work, the preparation for birth should be established on the one hand as an early, health-promoting and preventative service, provided by midwives and as key element in an integrated care concept on another hand. 

Principal investigator:

Prof. Dr. Friederike zu Sayn- Wittgenstein   

Research assistant: 

Ute Lange, Social scientist (Sozialwissenschaftlerin (M.A.), CM
Barbara Knorz, Degree in Education (Diplom-Pädagogin), CM

Student assistent: Katharina Detering 

Cooperating partners:

 “Eine Chance für Kinder“ foundation, family midwife network model project, Hannover,

 www.eine-chance-fuer-kinder.de

Deutscher Hebammenverband (DHV) e. V., Karlsruhe, www.hebammenverband.de

Hebammenverband Niedersachsen e.V., www.hebammen-niedersachsen.de

Hebammenverband Brandenburg e.V., www.hebammen-brandenburg.de  

Landeshebammenverband Mecklenburg-Vorpommern e.V.

Contact:
University of Applied Sciences Osnabrueck
Faculty of Business Management and Social Sciences
Postfach 1940
49009 Osnabrück, Germany 

Fon: +49 (0)541 969 3794
Fax: +49 (0)541 969 3683
E-Mail: ULange(at)wi.fh-osnabrueck.de