The Role of Perceived Stress on Prenatal Care Utilization: Implications for Social Work Practice

Data from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development/Missouri Maternal and Infant Health Survey on about 2,828 mothers were used to examine the relationship between perceived stress and prenatal care utilization. Major life events that contribute to stress also were examined in rel...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Health & social work 1999-05, Vol.24 (2), p.138-146
Main Authors: Sable, Marjorie R., Wilkinson, Deborah Schild
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adolescent
Adult
Antenatal care
Birth
Child Health
Female
Females
Health care
Health Care Utilization
Humans
Infant Mortality
Infants
Life Change Events
Life Events
Logistic Models
Low Income Groups
major life events
Marital Status
Medicaid
Mental stress
Methods
Missouri
Missouri - epidemiology
Mothers
Mothers - psychology
Pregnancy
Pregnant women
Prenatal Care
Prenatal Care - statistics & numerical data
Psychological aspects
Relationship
Social Work
Social workers
Stress
Stress (Psychology)
Stress, Psychological - epidemiology
Surveys and Questionnaires
United States
USA
Young Children
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Summary:Data from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development/Missouri Maternal and Infant Health Survey on about 2,828 mothers were used to examine the relationship between perceived stress and prenatal care utilization. Major life events that contribute to stress also were examined in relation to adequacy of prenatal care. Women who received inadequate prenatal care were more likely to have reported that they almost always felt stress during pregnancy. Odds ratios were statistically significant for women who were not black and Medicaid recipients but not for black women and women who were not covered by Medicaid. Social work intervention for stress reduction on behalf of pregnant women has the potential to contribute to improved prenatal care utilization, but further analysis of the kinds of stress women experience will enhance social work's ability to target specific interventions.
ISSN:0360-7283
1545-6854
DOI:10.1093/hsw/24.2.138