ECUR 809 - Assignment One

ECUR 809 – Assignment One

A program evaluation of a Prenatal Exercise Program for Urban Aboriginal Women prepared by The Department of Medicine and The School of Physiotherapy at the University of Saskatchewan.

            In March 1995 a weekly fitness program with incentives was developed as a side initiative that paralleled a two year National Health Research and Development Program.  The goal of the program was to promote physical fitness as a way to prevent gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) in prenatal First Nations women.  Over the two year period, the program saw great success with the 69 participants in the areas of improving fitness levels and raising self-esteem.  Women who participated in the program provided information for health-based questions, prenatal health information, and basic demographic data upon registration.  The evaluation of the program was conducted to see whether or not it was feasible to create and maintain such an exercise program for urban Aboriginal women and it seems to follow the Scriven model of evaluation. 

            The goals for the program were clearly identified in the evaluation as optimizing healthy pregnancies in urban Aboriginal women as a way to prevent type 2 diabetes in future populations.  Summative and formative methods of collecting data were both used to provide a descriptive analysis of the program.  Formative feedback was provided through field notes from program personnel such as: A Registered Nurse Coordinator, Physiotherapist, Aboriginal Project Facilitator, and a certified exercise instructor.  Summative feedback came from a questionnaire that 51% or participants completed near the end of their pregnancy, or shortly after childbirth.  In the questionnaire that took about 15 minutes, participants were able to provide their own feedback on:  Program structure, incentives, factors that determined attendance, benefits of physical fitness, personal exercise behaviors, and “attitudes and beliefs regarding exercise and sociodemographic information (optional)”.  The chi-squared method of analysis was used to create data that reflected the active participation of women in the program and the success it had in promoting exercise and fitness.  Women that took part also gave positive statements about how the program was beneficial to their health and prenatal wellness and also how it helped to motivate them for further exercise. 

            Limitations of the evaluation were stated in the study.  Although it was beneficial to receive a “post-program” questionnaire, only half of the women that participated were able to provide their feedback because the questionnaire was only developed after the program was well underway.  It would have been interesting to see how responses to the questionnaire differed from telephone interviews to self-administered answers which were the two methods of delivering the survey.  Conversations over the phone could have made an impact on responses because participants may have given answers they thought the facilitator wanted to hear, as opposed to an anonymous response questionnaire.  Another weakness of the evaluation is that information only came from those who attended and did not include the 39% of women who inquired about the program and did not attend.  If the study could compare the data to a standard instead of to the control group of participants, the results could be more conclusive. 

            Reading through the evaluation of this program allowed me to see how programs such as these could really benefit the Aboriginal population in Saskatoon.  Physical fitness is so important to everyone’s health and providing a demographic that is prone to GDM with a flexible, prenatal fitness program that includes incentives such as healthy snacks and beverages, free childcare, bus-tickets, and free information on health and diabetes prevention could only work to help in the fight against type 2 diabetes.  It is a shame that the program could not continue due to the lack of resources and support.