Canada Community Health Essay

The health care system of mothers and children in Canada is among the best in the world but there are some inequities in it. There are various facilities but they are not in reach of everyone. Factors like lower level of maternal education and poverty lead to malnutrition, unhealthy living conditions, increased risk of illness and stress (Public Health Agency of Canada, 2015). Canada gives a helping hand to vulnerable pregnant women through diverse programs, one of them being Canada Prenatal Nutrition Program. This program is a faction based operating since 1994 to achieve the objective of improving the wellbeing of pregnant women and is a great example of community support. Also, it provides the extensive support offered by Community Action

Body Mass Index of pregnant women depends crucially on the nutrition and portion size. The exceeded weight than recommended can cause gestational diabetes, greater risk of infections and congenital abnormalities in babies (Brown & Avery, 2012). Firstly, Nightingale emphasized on the quality of diet saying “You cannot be too careful as to quality in a sick diet” (Nightingale, 1860, p. 38). This has been of importance in nutrient counseling which has decreased the risk of gaining too much or too little weight and thus resulted in avoiding maternal and infant risks. Poor nutrition has also been identified which is common in women who are born outside Canada, with lower incomes and intervened by CPNP through training and workshops (Public health Agency of Canada, 2015). Secondly, Nightingale highlighted the tracking of diet of the patient which consists of recalling the amount of food patient had and the recommended food for a particular day (Nightingale, 1860). This thought have been incorporated into the program by assessing the irregular intake of the vitamin and mineral supplements and increasing the intake of these supplements. This lead to the lesser lower birth weights and preterm births (Public Health Agency of Canada,