Project Title

The APPLE Project: A Parenting and Professional Learning Evaluation

Research Focus:

Maternal and Child Health 

Funder & Dates

Public Health Agency (NI) July 2017 - July 2019

Principal Investigator or Primary Supervisor (if PhD project)

PI: Dr Jenny McNeill

Co-Investigators or additional supervisors

Dr Fiona Lynn, Aideen Gildea, Dr Sharon Millen, Prof. Fiona Alderdice

Research Fellow(s) or PhD Student

Dr Lorna Lawther

Name & Institution of Collaborators

School of Nursing and Midwifery

Centre for Evidence and Social Innovation

Name of External Partner Organisations

Belfast HSC Trust, South Eastern HSC Trust, Southern HSC Trust, Western HSC Trust, Northern HSC Trust, Public Health Agency

Description of Project

Aim: to evaluate implementation of changes to antenatal care & universal parenting support services as part of The Early Intervention Transformation Programme (EITP).

Methods: It is a mixed-methods, multiphase study including a systematic review, a population-based, observational, prospective study using three questionnaires which will be sent to low-risk first time mothers at between 14-20 weeks gestation, 35-40 weeks gestation and 3-months postpartum. The partial economic evaluation will use data from Maternity E-systems to measure the mean difference in cost of care and education. Focus groups will be conducted with Midwives, Health Visitors, Early Years Educators and parents involved in the new universal parenting support services.  The study will also include the development of a logic model.  

Expected Outcome:  an understanding of the impact of changes to antenatal care and education on clinical outcomes and insight into the perspectives of key stakeholders of these changes.

Associated with the project.

URLs to external pages, e.g., study webpage, reports, publications etc.

Any other relevant information