Sex Reprod Healthc
Judith Lumley Centre, School of Nursing and Midwifery, George Singer Building, La Trobe University, Bundoora, Victoria 3086, Australia. Electronic address:
Published: September 2022
Objectives: To describe Maternal and Child Health nurses' self-reported knowledge of, and attitude toward screening for postnatal depression and anxiety, and identify factors which impact screening in line with recommended guidelines.
Methods: A population-based, cross-sectional study of all Maternal and Child Health nurses in Victoria, Australia. Data were collected in 2019 through an online survey designed to fit a Knowledge, Attitude and Practice framework. Descriptive analyses were conducted to describe participant characteristics, self-reported knowledge, attitude, and practices. Bivariate and multivariate regression analysis were performed to evaluate associations between screening practices and nurses' attitude toward screening and a range of sociodemographic variables.
Results: Two hundred and eighteen Maternal and Child Health nurses participated in the study. Participants viewed screening as an important part of their role and screened all mothers at least once in the first 12 month postpartum. <35% routinely did so more than once in the first 12 months postpartum, and 31% were able to adhere to the recommended use of psychosocial assessments as part of their screening practice. After adjusting for confounding factors, nurses practicing in communities with greater socio-economic advantage were significantly more likely to conduct psychosocial assessments (aOR 3.93, 95% CI 1.47-10.49) and screen more than once (aOR 2.91, 95% CI 1.18-7.13), compared to nurses who worked in disadvantaged communities.
Conclusion: Place-based inequities in nurses' screening practices serve to widen the gap in health outcomes between advantaged and disadvantages mothers. Policy and practice strategies must consider the systematic challenges that contribute to this phenomenon and embed place-based strategies which address them.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.srhc.2022.100737 | DOI Listing |
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