Dr. Francesca Wuytack

Aim: to establish a public involvement in research initiative with MAMMI study participants. This will be achieved by: (i) hosting quarterly meetings/focus group discussions with women, MAMMI study participants; (ii) involving women in the development and review of the MAMMI 5-year follow-up study survey and documents; (iii) identifying, and prioritising, MAMMI study-related research that women wish to be conducted (on topics not covered in the MAMMI follow-up study) and in planning future studies on an ongoing basis; (iv) conducting 1-2 qualitative sub-studies on the topics chosen by women, and (v) presenting the study methods, and the public involvement initiative, at 1-2 conferences in 2018, ideally with a woman co-presenting with the researcher.

The overall aim of the MAMMI-SIM study is to build and attract capacity into the area of maternal health and health-services research at postdoctoral level in Ireland. In the first phases of the MAMMI study (Maternal health And Maternal Morbidity in Ireland), 3,041 nulliparous women were recruited from three maternity hospitals in Ireland. Participants completed/are completing surveys about their health and health problems, if any, they experienced before and during pregnancy, and at 3, 6, 9 and 12 months postpartum. The MAMMI-SIM is a follow-up study with these women that involves: (i) Second baby survey; (ii) Intervention for women with urinary incontinence, and (iii) Measuring costs of morbidity to women and services. It will tell us what health problems resolve, persist or get worse after the birth of the second baby, what health services women use, what can be done to resolve some problems such as urinary incontinence, and the costs of these services for women and the health service.

The Pregnancy-related Pelvic Girdle Pain Strand was a Mixed Methods study examined (1) the prevalence of, and risk and prognostic factors for PPGP in first-time mothers in Ireland, and (2) explored the experiences and health-seeking behaviours of mothers with persistent PPGP postpartum.

This project aims to develop a consensus-based PGP-COS (including methods for measuring the outcomes) for use in clinical trials and practice, with an ultimate aim to globally promote the health of people with PGP by consistent and relevant outcome measurement and reporting. This COS has been registered and ethical approval has been granted. The PGP-COS will be developed using a systematic review, patient interviews, a 3-round Delphi survey, systematic reviews of outcome measurement instruments, and a consensus meeting.

Urinary incontinence (UI) affects one-third of women during pregnancy, half of women at three months postpartum, and impacts negatively on women's quality of life. The proposed project will identify one generic and one urinary incontinence-specific quality of life measurement instrument through a systematic review of the literature, test the feasibility and validity of the instruments in pregnant and postpartum women, and survey all 19 maternity hospitals and services in Ireland to benchmark the provision of services, care and interventions for preventing and treating UI.