Measuring success - Alcohol and Pregnancy

Measuring the success of your alcohol and pregnancy activities allows you to check how you have gone against the objectives that you set at the start.

You are required to specify at least two process and two impact/outcome measures for each activity in your Community Action Plan.

Some example process, impact/outcomes measures and tools to measure success for alcohol and pregnancy activities are provided. You may find these a useful starting point for measuring the success of your approach. The measures of success that you use should align with the objectives of your activities.

Process measures

  • Engage with (xx number) community organisations over the first three-months of the Alcohol and Pregnancy activity to assist in establishing access to women who are pregnant, planning a pregnancy or breastfeeding to participate in your awareness raising activity/information session/training session
  • Work with (xx number) community organisations to conduct (xx number) awareness raising activities
  • Work with (xx number) community organisations to conduct (xx number) training or information sessions with (xx number) women who are pregnant, planning a pregnancy or breastfeeding, their partners and/or families within an (xx number) month period.
  • Post awareness raising activity/training and or information session on alcohol and pregnancy: (survey completed by target audience or participants pre/post activity/training)

Impact measures

As a result of the awareness raising activity or completing the alcohol and pregnancy training or information session:

  • (xx number) number of women, their partners and/or families will be aware of the NHMRC Drinking Guidelines for women who are pregnant, planning a pregnancy or breastfeeding
  • (xx number) number of women, their partners and/or families will demonstrate an increase in knowledge of harms associated with drinking while pregnant or breastfeeding
  • As a result of the completing the alcohol and pregnancy training OR attending the alcohol and pregnancy information session, (xx number) participants report a decrease in the belief that a few drinks while pregnant or breastfeeding is risk-free.

Short-term impacts of alcohol and pregnancy information or training session (one month after training):

  • As a result of the completing the alcohol and pregnancy training OR attending the alcohol and pregnancy information session, (xx number) participants will continue to demonstrate and increase in knowledge of harms associated with drinking while pregnant or breastfeeding.
  • As a result of the completing the alcohol and pregnancy training OR attending the alcohol and pregnancy information session, (xx number) women report that they feel supported by their partner and families to abstain from drinking while pregnant or breastfeeding.

Longer-term impacts of alcohol and pregnancy training or information session (six months after completing the alcohol and pregnancy training or information session activity):

  • As a result of the completing the alcohol and pregnancy training OR attending the alcohol and pregnancy information session, (xx number) women report that they continue to feel supported by their partner and families to abstain from drinking while pregnant or breastfeeding.

Tools to measure success

  • Feedback sheets or questionnaires (pre and post)
  • Surveys
  • Interviews
  • Verbal feedback from participants, facilitators
  • Notes taken by a dedicated note taker
  • Document analysis – tracking and monitoring the number of resources distributed
  • Focus groups (e.g. with healthcare and service providers)
  • Partnerships analysis
  • Local population health data (e.g. community survey data)

Next steps

Other things you can do to support your community:

  1. Work with your community partners to further connect and strengthen your community: see Strong and Connected Communities toolkit
  2. Work with your community partners to educate older adults about alcohol and other drugs: see Alcohol, Other Drugs and Older People toolkit
  3. Participate in a community liquor licensing activity: see Community Liquor Licensing toolkit for WA, SA, ACT, and QLD.

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