1. Maternal Characteristics Associated With Social Support in At-Risk Mothers of Premature Infants
- Author
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Kristin Rankin, Irene Cheung, Kathleen F. Norr, Camille Fabiyi, Li Liu, and Rosemary C. White-Traut
- Subjects
Adult ,Younger age ,Urban Population ,Mothers ,Critical Care Nursing ,Pediatrics ,law.invention ,Developmental psychology ,Young Adult ,03 medical and health sciences ,Social support ,0302 clinical medicine ,Randomized controlled trial ,law ,Intervention (counseling) ,Maternity and Midwifery ,Humans ,Medicine ,030212 general & internal medicine ,Maternal Behavior ,Poverty ,030504 nursing ,business.industry ,Infant, Newborn ,Social Support ,Gestational age ,Hispanic or Latino ,Mental health ,Black or African American ,Intake interview ,Female ,0305 other medical science ,business ,Attitude to Health ,Infant, Premature ,Stress, Psychological ,Demography - Abstract
Objective To identify maternal characteristics associated with social support among new mothers of premature infants who are at social–environmental risk. Design Cross-sectional analysis of intake interview data from a larger randomized controlled trial of a mother–premature infant developmentally based intervention. Setting Two urban community-based hospitals. Participants One hundred ninety-four women (50% Black, 50% Hispanic) who recently gave birth to otherwise healthy, premature (29–34 weeks gestational age) infants. Participants had at least 2 of 10 social–environmental risks (e.g., poverty). Methods In-hospital interviews were conducted to obtain data on sociodemographic characteristics, prior mental health problems, and social support through the use of the Personal Resources Questionnaire 2000. Bivariate and multivariable linear regression analyses were performed to identify factors associated with social support. Results Mean Personal Resources Questionnaire 2000 scores were significantly lower for Hispanic than Black participants (92.0 vs. 96.0, respectively), those interviewed in Spanish versus English (89.8 vs. 96.1), those with low versus age-appropriate education levels (89.7 vs. 95.3), multiparous versus primiparous women (92.7 vs. 96.0), and those reporting versus not reporting histories of mental health problems (84.7 vs. 94.8). After multivariable adjustment, only younger age, Spanish language preference, multiparity, and a history of mental health problems were associated with significantly lower levels of social support ( R 2 = 0.18). Conclusion More programs should be made available to provide social support to at-risk mothers, especially younger mothers, and those with limited English ability, other children at home, or histories of mental health problems. Nurses should target these mothers for additional support during their premature infants' NICU stay.
- Published
- 2017
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