Accessibility statement

Public Health in Midwifery - HEA00025I

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  • Department: Health Sciences
  • Module co-ordinator: Miss Becky Beggan
  • Credit value: 20 credits
  • Credit level: I
  • Academic year of delivery: 2022-23
    • See module specification for other years: 2021-22

Module will run

Occurrence Teaching period
A Autumn Term 2022-23

Module aims

  • To encourage the student to consider the protection and promotion of health of individual women, babies, their families and society as a whole.
  • To understand the factors that influence health and ill health within the wider social and political context.

Module learning outcomes

By the end of the module, students will be able to:

  1. Discuss the political influences on midwifery practice.
  2. Explore inequalities in maternity care and discuss how they can be addressed to underpin the provision of a flexible responsive maternity service.
  3. Examine the concept of health promotion and the role of the midwife in the protection and promotion of health of women, babies, families and communities.
  4. Discuss commonly used measures of maternal and child health and existing public health datasets and understand how these can be used to inform midwifery practice.
  5. Explain the different antenatal and postnatal screening available in order to offer information, support and care to women.
  6. Identify key nutritional issues affecting the health and well-being of mother and baby (infant feeding, maternal obesity, fetal origins of health etc).
  7. Discuss the prediction and detection of mental health disorders in pregnancy and following childbirth.

Assessment

Task Length % of module mark
Essay/coursework
Essay : Public Health in Midwifery		 N/A 100

Special assessment rules

Non-compensatable

Reassessment

Task Length % of module mark
Essay/coursework
Essay : Public Health in Midwifery		 N/A 100

Module feedback

Written feedback for summative assessment is provided on the standard proforma, within the timescale specified in the programme handbook.

Indicative reading

  • Asthana, S. and Halliday, J. (2006). What works in tackling health inequalities? Pathways, policies and practice through the lifecourse. Bristol: Policy Press.
  • Corcoran, N. (2007). Communicating health: strategies for health promotion. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
  • Killoran, A., Swann, C., and Kelly, M.P. (Eds.). (2006). Public health evidence: tackling health inequalities. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
  • O Luanaigh, P. and Carlson, C. (Eds.). (2005). Midwifery and public health: future directions, new opportunities. Edinburgh: Elsevier.
  • Marmot, M, et al (2020). Health Equity in England: The Marmot Review 10 years on. London: Institute of Health Equity.
  • National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence. (2020). Antenatal and postnatal mental health: clinical management and service guidance. NICE Clinical Guideline.
  • NHS (2019) The NHS Long Term Plan. London. NHS
  • Whittaker, A. (2005). Substance misuse in pregnancy: a resource book for professionals. London: DrugScope.


The information on this page is indicative of the module that is currently on offer. The University is constantly exploring ways to enhance and improve its degree programmes and therefore reserves the right to make variations to the content and method of delivery of modules, and to discontinue modules, if such action is reasonably considered to be necessary by the University. Where appropriate, the University will notify and consult with affected students in advance about any changes that are required in line with the University's policy on the Approval of Modifications to Existing Taught Programmes of Study.