{"id":1672,"date":"2026-09-04T16:50:19","date_gmt":"2026-09-04T16:50:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.mchleads.com\/?p=1672"},"modified":"2026-09-04T16:50:21","modified_gmt":"2026-09-04T16:50:21","slug":"strengthening-child-and-family-health-through-multidisciplinary-mch-approaches-competency-1-mch-knowledge-base-context","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mchleads.com\/?p=1672","title":{"rendered":"Strengthening Child and Family Health Through Multidisciplinary MCH Approaches [Competency 1: MCH Knowledge Base\/Context]"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Fransisca C. Anozie<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Fransisca C. Anozie<\/strong> is a recent MPH graduate from the University of Michigan School of Public Health<\/a> (U-M SPH) with a degree in Health Behavior and Health Equity<\/a>, and a certificate in Maternal and Child Health through its Center of Excellence for Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health. She is a former NSF International Global Scholar and University of Michigan Injury Prevention Center intern. She is a recent recipient of the School of Public Health\u2019s Unsung Hero Award for her impact within and beyond the U-M SPH community. She is committed to advancing the physical and mental well-being of children.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Strengthening Child and Family Health Through Multidisciplinary MCH Approaches<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

About You<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is your Maternal and Child Health (MCH) focus area?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

My MCH focus areas are distinct but overlapping: pediatric and maternal mental health, physical wellness, injury prevention, and food security. Poor mental health can increase the risk of physical and emotional harm, while injuries themselves can have lasting psychological impacts on children and families. I am also passionate about advancing access to affordable, nutritious food, recognizing that food security is foundational to the physical, emotional, and developmental well-being of both children and parents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What do you want other MCH students to know about this particular issue within our field?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Improving the physical and mental well-being of children extends far beyond access to therapy or counseling services. Children thrive when they are raised in safe and supportive environments with access to stable housing, clean water, nutritious food, quality healthcare, educational opportunities, and nurturing family relationships. These social and environmental conditions are deeply interconnected and play a critical role in shaping lifelong health outcomes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Within injury prevention, it is important to recognize that many childhood injuries and deaths are preventable. Firearms (Cunningham et al., 2018<\/a>) and unintentional injuries remain the leading causes of death among children and adolescents in the United States (West et al., 2021<\/a>), underscoring the need for stronger prevention efforts and community education. Preventive measures include keeping firearms locked in secure safes and storing ammunition separately (Hammig et al., 2024<\/a>), as well as promoting helmet use and safe medication storage, which can significantly reduce injury risk and save lives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ultimately, advancing maternal and child health requires a multidisciplinary, long-term approach that addresses both immediate and structural factors influencing child well-being. Supporting children\u2019s physical safety, emotional health, and developmental growth must be viewed as a shared responsibility across healthcare, public health, education, policy, and community systems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What sparked your interest in MCH? Why is it important for you to explore MCH (versus other disciplines or areas of public health)? <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

My interest in MCH is rooted in my experience of being diagnosed with scoliosis at age 13 and undergoing spinal fusion surgery, which highlighted for me the importance of timely care and supportive environments during childhood. Studying MCH has deepened my understanding of how social, environmental, and caregiver factors shape health outcomes across the life course. As an aspiring pediatrician-researcher, I am drawn to MCH because it emphasizes the social, environmental, and caregiver factors that influence child health beyond clinical care alone. I am committed to advancing accessible, evidence-based approaches that improve outcomes for children and their families.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How would you describe yourself? <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I would describe myself as kind and resilient.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Project or Practicum Experience<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Describe a specific project, practicum or internship you participated in. What was your role and what did you work on? <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The semester after my first year in the MPH program, I interned with the University of Michigan Injury Prevention Center<\/a> (UM IPC) in the Child Health and Development Lab<\/a> under the mentorship of Dr. Alison Miller. I worked on two projects: the Supporting All Families through Education and Responsible Management and Storage (SAFE ARMS) project and the Healthy Ypsi Project. The SAFE ARMS project focused on understanding parents’ perspectives on proper firearm storage practices, especially concerning children under four years old. Through SAFE ARMS, I revised parent surveys to improve clarity and usability, conducted thematic coding of parent interviews on firearm storage and child safety, and supported community engagement efforts through  Pop-Up Safety Town events<\/a>. I synthesized these findings into a five-page research brief that was shared with Michigan Medicine and community partners. The Healthy Ypsi project focused on identifying barriers to care and resources for Ypsilanti residents. For Healthy Ypsilanti, I qualitatively coded stakeholder interviews to identify barriers to healthcare access and community resources, helping to inform interventions and creating a community-facing report to be shared with community partners. I reflected on this work in the article titled \u201cFrom Silos to Synergy: Strengthening Ypsilanti\u2019s Community Network<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Which MCH Leadership Competency (or competencies) most connects to this work? What were key outcomes or impacts from your project\u2014on the community, organization\/agency or yourself?  <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The MCH leadership competencies that most connect with these works include: 1. MCH Knowledge Base\/Context, 5. Communication, 7. Community Health Factors, 10. Interdisciplinary\/Interprofessional Team Building, and 11. Systems Thinking. Competencies 1, 10, and 11 are particularly evident in the Healthy Ypsi project, which required collaboration across disciplines and with community partners to better understand and address barriers to the health and well-being of children, caregivers, and families. Competency 5 is relevant to both the SAFE ARMS and Healthy Ypsi projects, as effective communication through surveys, qualitative analysis, and community-facing reports was essential for translating findings into actionable insights. Competency 7 further grounds both projects by highlighting the broader social and environmental determinants, such as access to care, transportation, social support, and safe environments, that shape child and family health outcomes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For the SAFE ARMS project, the 5-page community-facing report I developed provides actionable data to inform future firearm storage education interventions, particularly for Pop-Up Safety Town events. It highlights parents’ and caregivers’ preferences for learning about safe firearm storage practices and identifies which educational approaches are most and least effective. For the Healthy Ypsi project, the community-facing report helps local stakeholders in Ypsilanti identify gaps in service delivery and opportunities to strengthen partnerships aimed at reaching more low-income families and improving access to resources.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Both projects closely align with MCH Leadership Competency 7 (Community Health Factors), as they emphasize the broader social, environmental, and structural factors that shape the health and well-being of children, caregivers, and families.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Please share a story about how you helped inform, contribute to, or analyze a Title V initiative or program.<\/strong> What skills did you use to evaluate its impact? How did this experience inform your understanding of systems-level MCH\/public health issues?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

During my MPH program, I took NUTR 615: Foundations in Maternal and Child Health, where I completed a Title V-focused project examining injury prevention among school-aged children in Indiana, a Region 5 state. My work centered on identifying gaps and opportunities in injury prevention, with a particular focus on Children with Special Health Care Needs (CSHCN). I used literature review, critical analysis, and synthesis skills to assess state-level needs and evaluate where existing systems could be strengthened. This project highlighted the importance of integrated, coordinated care and the role of a well-prepared pediatric workforce in improving outcomes for CSHCN. I presented these findings in a final poster session, translating my analysis into a clear, accessible format for a public health audience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This experience strengthened my understanding of systems-level thinking in MCH by showing how injury prevention and child health outcomes are shaped by interconnected healthcare, workforce, and policy systems rather than isolated interventions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Reflection and Growth<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Explore the role of self-reflection in your growth as an MCH professional. How has reflecting on your learnings or experiences helped you align your career goals with the MCH competency\/competencies you previously mentioned? <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Reflecting on my learning and experiences has strengthened my commitment to a solutions-oriented approach when addressing the needs of children and families. It has reinforced the importance of a life-course perspective in designing interventions that support health across developmental stages. These reflections have also highlighted that no single discipline can adequately address the complex challenges facing mothers, caregivers, and children, underscoring the value of collaboration across fields. As a result, I have come to better appreciate the importance of communication, systems-level thinking, and interdisciplinary teamwork in creating sustainable impact, which aligns closely with my goal of becoming a public health\u2013trained pediatric clinician and researcher.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How do you define leadership in MCH, and what kind of leader do you hope to be?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I define leadership in Maternal and Child Health as the ability to advance the well-being of children, women, and families, particularly those most vulnerable, by driving sustainable, accessible improvements in health outcomes across systems. I hope to be a leader who leads with empathy, intentionality, and a solution-oriented mindset, while remaining grounded in evidence and collaboration. Ultimately, I aim to contribute to long-term change that meaningfully improves the lives of children and families.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Please reflect on your experience as an MCH student. How do your academics influence your field\/practice-based experiences (and vice versa)? <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

My academic training introduced me to the life-course approach and how transitions across childhood can shape long-term health trajectories. It also deepened my understanding of Beneficial Childhood Experiences (BCEs) and Protective Childhood Experiences (PCEs) as buffers against Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), which helped ground my perspective in prevention and resilience. In my internship with the University of Michigan Injury Prevention Center, I applied these frameworks while revising surveys, engaging families at Pop-Up Safety Town events, and developing community-facing reports for the SAFE ARMS and Healthy Ypsi projects.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These experiences reinforced MCH Leadership Competencies 7 (Community Health Factors) and 11 (Systems Thinking) by showing how academic concepts translate into real-world interventions that address service gaps and improve child and family well-being.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is one insight you want to share with a prospective student considering joining the MCH field within public health at large?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

One insight I would share is to choose an area within MCH that you genuinely care about and can see yourself committing to long-term. Select a path that not only builds strong skills and flexibility but also allows you to grow and pivot within the broader MCH field as your interests evolve. Most importantly, focus on work that contributes meaningfully to the health and well-being of children and families in ways that can be sustained over time.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Fransisca C. Anozie is a recent MPH graduate from the University of Michigan School of<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":18,"featured_media":1673,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":true,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[1],"tags":[165,25,100,21,230],"class_list":["post-1672","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-leadership","tag-mch","tag-mch-leads","tag-public-health","tag-umnproud"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"featured_image_urls":{"full":["https:\/\/www.mchleads.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/MCH-Blog-Author-Posts.png",1080,1080,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/www.mchleads.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/MCH-Blog-Author-Posts-150x150.png",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/www.mchleads.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/MCH-Blog-Author-Posts-300x300.png",300,300,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/www.mchleads.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/MCH-Blog-Author-Posts-768x768.png",640,640,true],"large":["https:\/\/www.mchleads.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/MCH-Blog-Author-Posts-1024x1024.png",640,640,true],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/www.mchleads.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/MCH-Blog-Author-Posts.png",1080,1080,false],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/www.mchleads.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/MCH-Blog-Author-Posts.png",1080,1080,false],"chromenews-featured":["https:\/\/www.mchleads.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/MCH-Blog-Author-Posts-1024x1024.png",1024,1024,true],"chromenews-large":["https:\/\/www.mchleads.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/MCH-Blog-Author-Posts-825x575.png",825,575,true],"chromenews-medium":["https:\/\/www.mchleads.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/MCH-Blog-Author-Posts-590x410.png",590,410,true]},"author_info":{"display_name":"Crystal Egbo","author_link":"https:\/\/www.mchleads.com\/?author=18"},"category_info":"Uncategorized<\/a>","tag_info":"Uncategorized","comment_count":"0","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pauhrG-qY","jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.mchleads.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/MCH-Blog-Author-Posts.png","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mchleads.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1672","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mchleads.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mchleads.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mchleads.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/18"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mchleads.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1672"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.mchleads.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1672\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1676,"href":"https:\/\/www.mchleads.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1672\/revisions\/1676"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mchleads.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/1673"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mchleads.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1672"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mchleads.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1672"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mchleads.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1672"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}