SEEKING A HEALTHY BABY: HISPANIC WOMEN'S VIEWS OF PREGNANCY AND PRENATAL CARE.
Contributors: Boston College.
Published: 1993
Number of pages: 254
Subjects: Health Sciences, Nursing.; Health Sciences, Obstetrics and Gynecology.
Description: This research examined Hispanic women's views of their pregnancies and prenatal care. The women are of Puerto Rican and Dominican heritage and live in a mid-sized city in the northeast. Semi-structured interviews enabled the researcher to listen to the voices of the Hispanic women and to hear in their own words about themselves, and their feelings concerning their pregnancies and prenatal care. Twenty-one women were interviewed. Respondents began prenatal care during each of the three trimesters and speak English, Spanish, or both.

A qualitative grounded theory approach was used to develop the substantive theory. Seeking a healthy baby emerged as the core concept. The women enhance their chances of having a healthy baby by: (1) taking care of themselves; (2) using their support system; and (3) obtaining care from others. They take care of themselves by keeping a positive attitude, eating well, resting, exercising, and eliminating bad habits; pregnancy is viewed as a normal and temporary condition. Their support network is small and intense; it consists primarily of female family members and the father of the baby. The support they receive is in the form of aid, assurance, and advice. They seek prenatal care, although not always in a timely fashion, and use folk medicine as well. Folk medicine is seen as a supplement to western medicine and not a replacement. They carefully make decisions concerning their pregnancies and prenatal care; however, they may lack adequate information to make these decisions.

This research contributes to nursing knowledge by increasing our understanding of these Hispanic women's views of pregnancy and prenatal care. Through this beginning understanding, insight has been gained into why so many of these women fail to obtain adequate prenatal care. The theoretical model proposed provides a lens through which to view pregnant Hispanic women and to plan the education, outreach, and prenatal care needed to best meet their needs and enable them to receive adequate prenatal care.
Notes: Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 54-06, Section: B, page: 2998.

Thesis (PH.D.)--BOSTON COLLEGE, 1993.

School code: 0016.