Nursing

Nursing

Introduction

The concept of epidemiology refers to the research and in depth analysis of determinants of the health related issues, the existence of the diseases and injuries among the population. The results that are drawn from the in depth scientific research is then used by the health care providers that involve physicians as well as community health nurses. These health care providers, based on their extended knowledge, shape and enhance their practices and the care methods to deal with the existing problems and the factors related to the health of the people (Röhrig, B., Baptist, J., Wachtlin, D. and Blettner, M., 2009).

The concept of epidemiology in community health nursing practice is also the same. The community health nurses make use of various research studies so as to enhance their existing knowledge and to know new factors that are associated with their nursing practices. The community health nurses then develop the health related programs, based on their research, to make the people aware about the rising issues and to teach the people that how they can take better care of themselves by adopting effective practices (Hitchcock, J. E., Schubert, P. E., Thomas, S. A., 2003).

This paper involves the research on various prenatal issues. The research studies have shown that the prenatal trends are changing all around the globe because of various factors. As the community health nurse, it is the responsibility to understand the changes that are being occurring in the prenatal trends and to understand the factors that are creating the changes in prenatal trends so that effective and advanced prenatal classes can be developed and implemented in the community health unit. The following section aims at discussing in detail a case study, based on which the extensive knowledge will be developed to initiate effective prenatal classes the community health unit.

Discussion

The following is the critical analysis of the selected research study, “Changes in Maternal Characteristics in Nova Scotia, Canada from 1988 to 2001”.

1- What type of study design is it? Provide rationale

The study mentioned in the article is related to the prenatal factors that have changed with the passage of time. This research study has highlighted the number of maternal characteristics that have emerged in Nova Scotia during the period of time. The analysis is conducted on the time period between 1988 and 2001 so as to understand that how the changes have occurred in the prenatal trends and what are the factors that have contributed to the changes in maternal characteristics in Nova Scotia. This study design is of epidemiology type. The rationale of this type of study design is that the selected research study has taken into account the population based prenatal database to examine the determinants of the prenatal which involve the maternal age, the prevalence of smoking, the weight before pregnancy, the delivery weight and pregnancy weight gain, among all the delivery cases that have taken place during the period between 1988 and 2001. The in depth scientific research is conducted to extend the knowledge regarding ...