POLICY DESIGN FACTORS RELATED TO PRENATAL HEALTH CARE IN SOUTH CAROLINA AND THE NETHERLANDS.
Contributors: University of Georgia.
Published: 1994
Number of pages: 155
Subjects: Political Science, General.; Health Sciences, Nursing.; Sociology, Public and Social Welfare.
Description: The study of policy design instruments allows scholars to examine policy intent and content. It also enables scholars to begin to infer predictive capabilities of instruments. This study examined the instruments of policies addressing infant mortality in both South Carolina and the Netherlands.

Two questions were addressed: (1) what policy design factors are crucial to program strategists to ensure an effective program, and (2) how do the tools and their underlying assumptions that address infant mortality and prenatal care in the two sites differ? South Carolina's infant mortality rate of 10.5 percent is significantly higher than the 8 percent infant mortality rate in the Netherlands.

A limited ethnographic design was employed to analyze policy instruments through the implicit or explicit behavioral theories found in law, regulations and programs using a framework offered by Schneider & Ingram (1990). This study found that both South Carolina and the Netherlands used authoritative, incentive and capacity building instruments to address infant mortality. However, the focus of the instruments differed. Whereas South Carolina addressed the event of pregnancy as the focus of instruments, the Netherlands focused their tools at the prevention of unwanted pregnancies.

Findings. Conclusions of this study indicate the specific factors which may impact design and outcome.
Notes: Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 55-04, Section: A, page: 1087.

Thesis (PH.D.)--UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA, 1994.

School code: 0077.