Health disparity and social inclusion – home visits to new mothers, a feasibility study

Background
Stovner district in Oslo are faced with significant social and ethnic health disparities. Approximately 50 % of the population (30 800) is immigrants, of which 45 % come from non-Western countries. Embedded in the primary care service structures in Norway are universal free maternal and child clinic services.  The services are well attended and trusted. An expanded home visiting program has been suggested. The current project was a feasibility study of acceptance in this multi-ethnic and multi-cultural community.  

Methods
Focus group interviews with mothers (median age 32 years, 9 different nationalities) were conducted. The data was transcribed and analyzed according to Malterud’s Systematic Text Condensation

Results
The primary concern of the mother was to be a “good enough” mother. They welcomed home visits of a public health nurse. They would like to have the opportunity to ask questions related to child rearing, birthing and nursing. It would be easier to talk about sensitive issues at home. They wanted a “mentor”, not a therapeutic relationship with the visitor. First-time mothers were more positive to participate in such a project. Several of the mothers were lonely during their first pregnancy and in the time after the birth. Language difficulties and immigrant status reinforced these feelings.

Conclusions
The need for networking and the feeling of being lonely was greater than anticipated. The focus groups disclosed issues not anticipated by the team and will lead to necessary changes in the project. The results will be discussed and the final project presented.