INFLUENCE OF SELF-ESTEEM AND MASTERY UPON ENTRY INTO PRENATAL CARE AMONG AFRICAN AMERICAN WOMEN.
Contributors: University of California, San Francisco.
Published: 1994
Number of pages: 150
Subjects: Health Sciences, Nursing.; Psychology, Behavioral.; Health Sciences, Obstetrics and Gynecology.; Black Studies.
Description: In 1990, the infant mortality rate for African Americans was 18.0 deaths per 1,000 live births, contrasted to 7.6 for European Americans. Rates of infant mortality are potently influenced by the health of mothers and the care they receive during pregnancy. In 1988, initiation of prenatal care among African American women occurred substantially later than for European American women. An assumption often heard among health care providers is that women with favorable self-concepts are more likely to enter care early. To date, empirical support of this assumption is not found in the literature.

The purpose of this study was to explore the relationships between the two psychosocial factors of self-esteem and sense of mastery with entry into prenatal care among a sample of African American women. A repeated measures design was utilized. Three self report questionnaires--Rosenberg's Self-Esteem scale, Pearlin's Mastery scale and Affonso's Cognitive Adaptation to Stressful Events (CASE) measure, a scale based on meaning, self-esteem and mastery during adjustment to childbearing were administered to 45 women who received prenatal care in two inner-city clinics in Washington DC. In addition, women were asked to respond to five Likert-type questions designed to measure sense of mastery, Women were assessed initially when they entered prenatal care and again on a subsequent visit an average of three to four weeks later.

Women who entered prenatal care within the first twelve weeks of pregnancy did not have significantly different self-esteem or mastery scores, as measured by Rosenberg's or Pearlin's scales. Self-esteem and mastery were significantly correlated with entry into prenatal care, as measured by Affonso's CASE. Recommendations for future research included use of methodology more appropriate to the unique experience of African American childbearing women.
Notes: Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 56-01, Section: B, page: 0177.

Thesis (D.N.S.)--UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN FRANCISCO, 1994.

School code: 0034.