Program Activities and Their Theoretical Bases in this Application

Abstract

This paper explains about the WIC health promotion plan, and the changes that the program intends to bring in a community. It explains about the key activities of the program and whether the activity is appropriate for the priority population or not. It explains the theoretical bases of activities and describes how it will bring the intended outcomes in the community.

Program Activities and Their Theoretical Bases in this Application

Introduction

The WIC is a federal assistance program, which is managed by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) for nutrition of breastfeeding women, low-income pregnant women, infants and children. The WIC is especially designed for :

Pregnant women

Breastfeeding women

Nonbreastfeeding postpartum women

Infants for a year.

Children up to 5th year.

The following benefits are provided to WIC participants:

Supplemental foods 

Nutrition education at WIC clinics 

Referrals to other health services.

WIC provides services to:

hospitals

mobile clinics (vans)

country health departments

community centers

public housing sites

schools

Migrant health centers (WIC, 2012).

WIC is running a nationwide breast-feeding promotion program, to promote breast-feeding in women upto 1year. WIC program has proved effective in initiating breast -feeding in women.WIC runs this program through its specific clinic, hospitals and community centers. To promote breast-feeding, WIC health promotion program is effective in increasing the awareness of Maryland women about breast-feeding. This program would educate the women about the important and benefits of breast-feeding.

The Changes That the Program is Intended To Bring

WIC program in Maryland is intended to improve health behaviour of the community in a permanent manner to enable social change. The purpose of this study would be to promote breast-feeding and continuation of breast-feeding up to 1 year in women of Maryland. In order to understand the psychosocial factors related to breast-feeding, complete evaluation of behavioral decision making process is needed. If the factors influencing the breast-feeding behavior are identified, they would help in implications for promotion and intervention strategies related to breast-feeding awareness programs.

The basic primary aim of this program is to encourage breast-feeding to foster healthy growth and decrease the development of Type-2 disease, obesity and many other chronic disease in infants of these mother, through breast-feeding in early months of infant's life. Breast-feeding provides numerous health benefits to infants, mothers and society. These benefits are due to characteristics of breast milk (Kendall-Tackett, Mohrbacher & Newman, 2010). The unique composition of breast milk provides essential nutrients for healthy growth and has protective effects against infections. A longer duration of lactation increases these benefits of breast-feeding

Key activities of the program

Antepartum Interventions

During the first trimester, most pregnant women make a decision about feeding their infants. If physicians and hospital staff educate these mothers about the benefits of breast-feeding early in gestation, they are more likely to get benefit from these advices. Obstetrician and gynaecologist can provide information to married women, when they arrive for routine examinations. Breast-feeding plans should be discussed in these visits. In such visits, health care professional should consider the pre-existing medical conditions and its relation to lactation, or if ...