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Role of Midwifery Continuity of Care in Reducing Health Inequalities

NCT04524286 · Status: COMPLETED · Type: OBSERVATIONAL · Enrollment: 38

Last updated 2022-04-22

No results posted yet for this study

Summary

The impact of living in a deprived area has far reaching consequences on maternal and infant health. Studies in England show women living in deprived areas have some of the poorest experiences of care, poor birth outcomes and are 50% more likely to die of pregnancy related complications than women in the least deprived neighbourhoods. Life expectancy has also stalled for women living in the most deprived areas and the global COVID-19 pandemic has further amplified existing health inequalities.

The Social Determinants of Health (SDH) are the conditions in which people are born, grow, work, live, and age, and are mostly responsible for health inequities - the unfair and avoidable differences in health seen within and between populations. Evidence shows taking action on the SDH alongside Midwifery Continuity of Care (MCC) models, improves birth outcomes and reduces health inequalities. How midwives working in MCC models in areas of high deprivation address the SDH as part of their public health and prevention role is currently not clear. There is also a lack of qualitative evidence exploring the SDH from the perspectives of women themselves.

Drawing on Constructivist Grounded Theory methods, this research will take place in a low-income setting in England. Through the use of semi-structured interviews with women and midwives working in an NHS MCC model, the study will generate theory to help explain how and indeed whether midwives take action to address the SDH as part of their public health role. The study also seeks to understand the SDH impacting upon women's lives and what mechanisms exist to support or obstruct engagement with the SDH. Examining these domains will contribute to the evidence base about the impact of MCC and the public health and prevention strategy in NHS maternity services.

Conditions

  • Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice
  • Social Determinants
  • Public Health
  • Pregnancy Related

Interventions

OTHER

Interviews only.

Interviews will be conducted with childbearing women and midwives.

Sponsors & Collaborators

  • University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust

    collaborator OTHER

  • Bournemouth University

    lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

  • Charlotte Clayton · Bournemouth University

Eligibility

Min Age
16 Years
Max Age
50 Years
Sex
FEMALE
Healthy Volunteers
Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start
2020-11-06
Primary Completion
2022-03-31
Completion
2022-03-31

Countries

  • United Kingdom

Study Locations

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Read the full study record

This page highlights key information. For complete eligibility criteria, study locations, investigator contacts, and the full protocol, visit the original record on ClinicalTrials.gov.

View NCT04524286 on ClinicalTrials.gov