Week 9
discussion

Discussion: Nonadherence to Lifestyle Changes During
Pregnancy

After identifying potential health risks for pregnant
patients, providers often recommend behavior changes in lifestyle choices such
as drug use, alcohol consumption, dietary habits, and environmental exposures.
Even with provider recommendations and patient education programs, some patients
still struggle to adhere to recommended lifestyle changes during pregnancy,
posing health risks for both the mother and child. In your role as the
provider, you must be able to recognize signs of nonadherence to recommended
lifestyle changes because not all patients will be forthcoming with the
struggles they may be experiencing. Management plans are only successful if
patients’ individual needs are recognized and met, so provider-patient
collaboration is essential for mitigating nonadherence issues. For this
Discussion, consider implications of nonadherence to recommended lifestyle
changes and potential management strategies for pregnant patients.

To prepare:

Review the “During Pregnancy” article in this week’s
Learning Resources.

Think about the health promotion topic that you selected for
the Week 8 Discussion (i.e., smoking, drinking, taking drugs, eating habits,
and caring for pets).

With the topic you selected in mind, consider early signs
and symptoms that might indicate a patient’s nonadherence to recommended
lifestyle changes during pregnancy. Think about the impact of nonadherence on
the fetus and the patient.

Reflect on treatment and management strategies for patients
presenting with signs and symptoms of nonadherence to recommended lifestyle changes.