The APPLE Project - Version 1
Research type
Research Study
Full title
The APPLE Project: A Parenting and Professional Learning Evaluation
IRAS ID
232940
Contact name
Jenny McNeill
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Queen's University Belfast
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
COM/5283/16, Researchfish
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 5 months, 31 days
Research summary
This study will evaluate the implementation of new parenting support services that have been introduced by Work Stream 1 of the Early Intervention Transformation Programme across all Health and Social Care (HSC) Trusts in Northern Ireland. These changes include the introduction of (i) group-based antenatal care and education to first-time mothers with uncomplicated pregnancies and their partners; (ii) a named health visitor to pre-school education settings; and, (iii) an integrated 3+ child health review within pre-school education settings. The research objectives are:\n1. To conduct a comparative evaluation of group antenatal care and education versus standard services, including an economic evaluation \n2. To identify the perspectives of professionals involved in delivering the new services across Work Stream 1\n3. To identify the perspectives of parents involved in the integrated 3+ child health review.\n\nThe study will consist of two phases using a mixed methods study design. Phase 1 will compare outcomes for women who receive the new group-based antenatal service (intervention) to those women who receive standard antenatal services (comparison). A population-based observational study, using questionnaire-based methods, will be conducted with first-time pregnant women at low risk of complications receiving antenatal care and education within one of the five HSC Trusts in Northern Ireland. Outcomes of interest are maternal (e.g. satisfaction with care, level of depression, anxiety and stress, level of social support, prenatal attachment, parenting confidence), infant (e.g. gestational age at birth, birth weight, infant feeding) and partner focused (e.g. satisfaction with care, level of depression, anxiety and stress, and parenting confidence).\n\nPhase 2 will incorporate a series of focus groups with professionals and parents involved in the implementation of the new parenting support services to explore their experiences, satisfaction with the process and identify critical factors contributing to the success of these changes.
REC name
London - Bromley Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
18/LO/0622
Date of REC Opinion
16 Apr 2018
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion