(PS10-A13) Motherwise in Nicaragua: The Implementation of Relationship Education Programming and Cultural Considerations

Introduction: MotherWise is a relationship education program that supports women during pregnancy and postpartum in having healthy relationships. Research shows that it its effective in improving relationships, reducing unintended pregnancies (Patnaik & Wood, 2021), and decreasing preterm birth (Rhoades et al., in press). In 2021, a site in Nicaragua began offering MotherWise. In 2019, Nicaragua had a Human Development Index (HDI) value of 0.660, indicating medium human development, while the United States’ HDI value was 0.926, reflecting very high human development (United Nations Development Programme, 2020). Research has suggested that women who live in countries with lower HDI values have decreased resilience, (i.e., more psychological issues and adverse experiences), and subsequently exhibited greater psychological ramifications from intimate partner violence (Herrero et al., 2018). Therefore, relationship education is particularly important in Nicaragua to help foster skills for healthy relationships and build resilience amidst their under-resourced circumstances. The present study aims to describe the preliminary data from the implementation of MotherWise in Nicaragua.

Methods: This study’s data are from the first two cohorts of the MotherWise Nicaragua program, composed of n=11 women in romantic relationships. The program consisted of class sessions to provide women with knowledge and skills about motherhood and healthy relationships, covering topics such as healthy communication, identifying unhealthy relationships, reflecting on one’s past, and newborn care. Following participation, the women completed surveys on topics including beliefs about relationships (e.g., “I can recognize the danger signs in a bad relationship”), and program satisfaction (e.g., “I have learned new skills in this program that I plan to use in my relationships”). Programming and surveys were in Spanish.

Results: Program satisfaction was highly endorsed with 100% of participants indicating they strongly agreed or agreed with the statement, “Since attending the program, I have a better understanding of what makes a healthy relationship,” and 91% rating the program as “extremely useful.”  Additionally, upon program completion, 91% of participants strongly agreed or agreed that they could recognize the danger signs in a bad relationship, and 82% of participants strongly agreed or agreed that they know what to do when they recognize danger signs in a bad relationship.


Discussion: Preliminary data suggests the benefits of MotherWise programming in Nicaragua. The program has the potential to equip Nicaraguan women with knowledge to navigate relationships and therefore, foster happier, healthier selves and families. If the MotherWise program in Nicaragua effectively educates about navigating relationships and motherhood, it could have long-term benefits. However, evidence supporting a program’s efficacy in the United States does not guarantee its efficacy in another country due to cultural and systematic differences, so continued evaluation of MotherWise Nicaragua is necessary to determine whether the program effectively supports Nicaraguan women and meets their needs.