TY - JOUR
T1 - Stress in African American pregnancies
T2 - Testing the roles of various stress concepts in prediction of birth outcomes
AU - Dominguez, Tyan Parker
AU - Schetter, Christine Dunkel
AU - Mancuso, Roberta
AU - Rini, Christine Marie
AU - Hobel, Calvin
N1 - Funding Information:
This research was supported by National Institute for Child Health and Human Development Grant RO1–HD29553, and Drs. Mancuso and Rini were supported by National Institute of Mental Health Training Grant MH15750.
PY - 2005
Y1 - 2005
N2 - Background: The persistently higher rates of adverse birth outcomes among African American women are a major public health concern. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to explore the relations among psychosocial stress, socioeconomic status, and birth outcomes in African American women. Methods: A prospective survey research design was used to measure stress exposure, subjective responses to stressors, including intrusive effects of life events, and medical and sociodemographic variables in a sample of 178 pregnant African American women. Birth outcomes were obtained from medical charts. Results: Life event exposure was high, but levels of perceived stress and negative emotional responses were low to moderate. Lower income African American women reported significantly greater pregnancy undesirability than higher income African American women. Educational attainment was not related to any of the stress variables, and neither income nor educational attainment was significantly related to birth outcomes. Number of stressful life events significantly predicted 3% additional variance in gestational age after controlling for potential confounders. Psychosocial stress variables altogether accounted for 7% additional variance in gestational age-adjusted birth weight, with event distress and intrusive thoughts concerning severe life events emerging as the significant independent stress predictors. Conclusions: These results contribute to our understanding of the complex etiological processes involved in African American birth outcomes and set the stage for further research into their reproductive health status.
AB - Background: The persistently higher rates of adverse birth outcomes among African American women are a major public health concern. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to explore the relations among psychosocial stress, socioeconomic status, and birth outcomes in African American women. Methods: A prospective survey research design was used to measure stress exposure, subjective responses to stressors, including intrusive effects of life events, and medical and sociodemographic variables in a sample of 178 pregnant African American women. Birth outcomes were obtained from medical charts. Results: Life event exposure was high, but levels of perceived stress and negative emotional responses were low to moderate. Lower income African American women reported significantly greater pregnancy undesirability than higher income African American women. Educational attainment was not related to any of the stress variables, and neither income nor educational attainment was significantly related to birth outcomes. Number of stressful life events significantly predicted 3% additional variance in gestational age after controlling for potential confounders. Psychosocial stress variables altogether accounted for 7% additional variance in gestational age-adjusted birth weight, with event distress and intrusive thoughts concerning severe life events emerging as the significant independent stress predictors. Conclusions: These results contribute to our understanding of the complex etiological processes involved in African American birth outcomes and set the stage for further research into their reproductive health status.
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U2 - 10.1207/s15324796abm2901_3
DO - 10.1207/s15324796abm2901_3
M3 - Review article
C2 - 15677296
AN - SCOPUS:12844283293
VL - 29
SP - 12
EP - 21
JO - Annals of Behavioral Medicine
JF - Annals of Behavioral Medicine
SN - 0883-6612
IS - 1
ER -