Health Effects of Life Transitions for Women and Children: A Research Model for Public and Community Health Nursing

Abstract

Because maternal-child populations have traditionally been a major practice target for public and community health nursing (P/CHN), understanding the health effects of life transition experiences for women and their children is key to the advancement of P/CHN practice and research. To date there are no integrated conceptual models available that examine transition and its health effects in women, and ultimately their children, to single or multiple transitions. In order to help women and those with dependent children transition successfully, strong transition frameworks for nursing are needed. The purpose of this paper is to describe a conceptual model, Health Effects of Life Transition for Women and Children. Major components include the transition experience (developmental, situational, health illness), transition assets/risks (personal, environmental), cognitive-behavioral health indicators of transition (perception of situation, personal efficacy, change readiness, engagement, help-seeking, health behaviors, services use), transition adaptive outcomes of health (health status, intensity of need for nursing care) and competence (transition specific skill acquisition, health management, resourcefulness) and long-term preventive health outcomes (risk reduction, disability prevention, cost savings, mastery, injury prevention). The authors propose that cognitive-behavioral health indicators are foundational to a successful transition experience, are why some people have better transition outcomes than others, and when influenced by P/CHN intervention lead to improved long-term outcomes.

Implementing common data elements across studies to advance research

“…Our initial draft of the P20 grant application used a sole theoretical perspective with the rationale that this would provide a single, unifying and parsimonious framework. However, all pilot study PIs based their interventions on several different theoretical perspectives [i.e., Health Promotion Model, (Pender, Murdaugh, & Parsons, 2010), Social Cognitive Theory (Bandura, 1997), the Transtheoretical Model (Prochaska, DiClemente, & Norcross, 1992), and health effects of life transitions model (Kaiser, Kaiser, & Barry, 2009)].…”

Reprioritizing life: a conceptual model of how women with type 1 diabetes deal with main concerns in early motherhood

“…Becoming a mother is one of the most central transitions in life (Meleis, Sawyer, Im, & Hillfinger, 2000), which may have multidimensional health implications and entails an opportunity to re-evaluate one’s life, including life goals, priorities, and preferences (Kaiser, Kaiser, & Barry, 2009). Women with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) encounter major challenges during their transitional period to motherhood (Rasmussen et al, 2013).…”

The Integrated Gateway Model: A catalytic approach to behavior change

“…During life transitions, there is the potential for impacts on multidimensional health outcomes [26]; these “teachable moments” motivate individuals to spontaneously adopt risk‐reducing health behaviors [27]. Research on teachable moments has predominantly considered how an individual's immediate situation creates susceptibility or openness to persuasive arguments.…”