Women's Health Promotion - At Risk Population

Women's Health Promotion - At Risk Population

     

     Referring to the afore mentioned health screening fair, nurses and nursing students will triage willing persons through assessments and health questionnaires. Criteria for at risk individuals may include such things as: assessment findings at the high or low end of norms, living in a less healthy area of the village, answers on questionnaires that indicate risk taking behaviors (such as unprotected sex, sex with multiple partners), or unfamiliarity with health resources available to them.  Nurses will encourage these persons to complete a follow up visit at the local clinic for further health testing.  These persons will also be encouraged to attend health promotion classes to be scheduled at the clinic (as another phase of the plan through the local health care offices).  Those persons most likely to be interested in such follow up include:

• Young people (age 15–24) who are either married or unmarried but have no children.
•  Young married 15–19 year old women. This group has the lowest contraceptive use, the highest unmet need for family planning and the shortest birth intervals.
• Young married women, men, and couples with one child. This group is the most receptive to family planning: 22% of married women begin using contraceptives after their first child, compared to only 5% before having a child and 12% after having a second child.
• Married women, men, and couples with two children. This group has the greatest desire to limit children but only 33-45% use a modern contraceptive (University Research Co, LLC. 2011).

Future measures to assist these at risk persons could include: partnering with a health neighborhood mentor, additional classes and possibly becoming mentors themselves.  Public recognition at class completion celebrations as well as certificates of accomplishment and small completion rewards.