The interaction of exposure, sensitivity, and adaptation ability results in population vulnerability. These three elements assist in determining the likelihood that various populations may be impacted by a certain stressor, such as an environmental shift, disease epidemic, natural disaster, or civil unrest ( Wardrop et al., 2021).
This essay examines the idea of population vulnerability with a particular emphasis on expectant mothers. Utilizing a multidisciplinary methodology, it explores the several elements that lead to their susceptibility and highlights the necessity of customized solutions. The research aims to seek information that will help enhance public health policy and pregnant women’s general quality of life.
Concept Map Overview
Pregnant women are a particularly susceptible group because of the special physiological and social requirements they have during pregnancy. Specifically, a woman’s biological system may be significantly impacted by pregnancy. Notably, women undergo alterations throughout pregnancy in order to prepare their immune systems for pregnancy. The maternal immune system is downregulated as a result of these changes. Consequently, infectious illness vulnerability is typically associated with pregnancy (Mirbeyk et al., 2021). Numerous factors, including biological, social, and healthcare-related characteristics, affect this population’s susceptibility (Hudon et al.,2023).
Many obstacles must be overcome by pregnant women, which puts them at risk for negative health consequences. First, low socioeconomic status—inadequate resources and unstable finances—is a major predictor. A secure living environment, adequate nourishment, and essential healthcare services are all hampered by this economic vulnerability. Second, by impeding the prompt detection and treatment of possible health problems, the unavailability of prenatal care increases the risk. The probability of difficulties during pregnancy is increased when prenatal treatment is inadequate or delayed, and it also restricts opportunities for health promotion. One such crucial factor is insufficient nutritional support. Pregnancy-related poor food intake can lead to a variety of unfavorable effects for both the mother and the fetus. Specific treatments and support networks are crucial for supporting the health of both the mother and the fetus since these risk factors interact to increase the susceptibility of expectant mothers (World Health Organization, 2019).
Maternal mortality, which occurs when a woman passes away during or within 42 days of ending the pregnancy, despite the length or location of the pregnancy, is a significant public health risk that affects expectant mothers. Several variableslike low socioeconomic position, restricted chances of receiving prenatal services, and insufficient nutritional support, combine to cause maternal death. Maternal mortality rates are greater among pregnant women who are vulnerable due to impediments to healthcare and resources than among their more fortunate contemporaries (Lisonkova et al., 2021). Delays in seeking and receiving the necessary medical care increase the risk even more, highlighting the dire need for broad initiatives that address healthcare access, social determinants of health, and nutritional support to lower the rate of maternal mortality among this vulnerable population.
Implications for Advanced Nursing Practice
Actively supporting legislative changes that would expand Medicaid’s coverage of maternal health services is one way that MSN-prepared nurses can successfully advocate for impoverished pregnant women at a federal level. Implementing systemic reforms at the national level is essential to addressing socioeconomic inequities and enhancing the provision of adequate prenatal assistance. By extending Medicaid, expectant mothers—especially those with low incomes—will be able to obtain vital medical services, such as prenatal assistance, screening tests, and postnatal assistance. It aligns with the Healthy People 2030 project, particularly concerning the objective of “Improving Maternal Health” (Objective MICH-01), which seeks to lower the rate of severe maternal illness and mortality.
Recommendation
The rising rate of obesity in children and adolescents represents a serious public health concern. Data from demographic assessments, including national surveys and research, regularly show a concerning rise in the prevalence of childhood obesity. In the 2017–2018 study, 19.3% of children and adolescents in the United States between the ages of 2 and 19 reported having obesity, according to the CDC (CDC, 2020). Implementing comprehensive school-based interventions is a recommended population-focused method to address the risk of childhood obesity. There is evidence that school-based initiatives that promote physical exercise, healthy eating, and better school settings can help prevent and treat childhood obesity.
Conclusion
Pregnancy-related vulnerability is closely associated with several risk factors, such as low socioeconomic position, restricted access to maternity services, and insufficient nutritional assistance. When taken as a whole, these variables increase the chance of poor maternal and fetal outcomes, including low birth weight, premature deliveries, and maternal mortality. The idea map shows how various factors combine to increase vulnerability.
MSN-prepared nurses use their enhanced knowledge and abilities to advocate for vulnerable groups, especially pregnant women, and play a critical role. They can actively participate in national, state, and local policy lobbying, supporting programs like Medicaid expansion that increase access to healthcare. MSN-prepared nurses advocate holistic treatments that improve vulnerable people’s overall well-being by targeting social aspects of good health, endorsing preventive measures, and cultivating community outreach initiatives.
References
Mirbeyk, M., Saghazadeh, A., & Rezaei, N. (2021). A systematic review of pregnant women with COVID-19 and their neonates. Archives of gynecology and obstetrics, 304, 5-38. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00404-021-06049-z
Hudon, É., Chouinard, M. C., Ellefsen, É., Beaudin, J., & Hudon, C. (2023). The experience of pregnant women in contexts of vulnerability of prenatal primary nursing care: a descriptive interpretative qualitative study. BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth, 23(1), 1-11. https://bmcpregnancychildbirth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12884-023-05474-z
Joseph, K. S., Boutin, A., Lisonkova, S., Muraca, G. M., Razaz, N., John, S., … & Schisterman, E. (2021). Maternal mortality in the United States: recent trends, current status, and future considerations. Obstetrics and gynecology, 137(5), 763. doi: 10.1097/AOG.0000000000004361
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). (2020). Childhood Obesity Facts. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/obesity/data/childhood.html
Wardrop, R., Crilly, J., Ranse, J., & Chaboyer, W. (2021). Vulnerability: A concept synthesis and its application to the Emergency Department. International Emergency Nursing, p. 54, 100936. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ienj.2020.100936
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