2018 Volume 21 Issue 3 Pages 41-48
Objective: This study clarifies the curriculum for mothering and parenting classes and the planner’s evaluation of the classes for pregnant working women.
Methods: We conducted semi-structured interviews with the public health nurses and midwives who plan and implement classes for pregnant working women. We also conducted participatory observations of the classes and qualitatively analyzed the information collected.
Results: Three municipalities, each with an increasing population, were selected for interviews and observations. The curriculum was classified into 11 subcategories and 5 categories: （1）offering basic information about pregnancy, delivery and child care, （2）facilitating parental preparation for child care, （3）reducing conflict and the anxiety that arises in dual-earner couples, （4）promoting the development of companionship with other dual-earner couples in the community, and（5）supporting the balance between work and child care. The planner’s subjective evaluations of the classes were classified into 9 subcategories and 4 categories: （1）facilitation of readiness for the balance between work and child care for dual-earner couples, （2）the need to create a program in which multiple occupations and organizations collaborate, （3）class on weekends has both benefits and challenges, and（4）the need to consider how to operate an ongoing program.
Consideration: The curriculum addressed issues relevant to dual-earner couples such as reducing conflict, anxiety about balancing work and child care, and providing support to participants. While the planned classes had a certain efficacy, what became clear was the difficulty in responding to varied needs and managing an ongoing program.
