THE RELATIONSHIP OF SOCIAL SUPPORT TO PRENATAL SYMPTOMS IN LATINA WOMEN.
Contributors: Temple University.
Published: 1995
Number of pages: 168
Subjects: Health Sciences, Public Health.; Health Sciences, Obstetrics and Gynecology.; Women's Studies.; Sociology, Ethnic and Racial Studies.; Health Sciences, Nursing.; Psychology, Social.
Description: The purpose of this study was to examine the sources and types of social support reported by Latina women to determine the relationship between social support and prenatal symptoms.

The study took place in an ambulatory prenatal hospital clinic in Northeast Pennsylvania. The sample consisted of 196 volunteer Latina women who were in the 28th to 36th week of an uncomplicated pregnancy. Subjects were asked to complete a Demographic Data Questionnaire, Symptoms Checklist and Social Support Inventory, all of which were offered in English and Spanish.

Correlation between sources of support and prenatal symptoms yielded a statistically significant positive relationship (r = 0.139, p $<$.05). Types of support had a negative, but statistically not significant, relationship to prenatal symptoms in the English language group (r = $-$0.012, p $<$.88). The direction of this relationship was positive (r = 0.138, p $<$.23) in the Spanish language group, yet this relationship was not statistically significant.

The composite variable of Ethnicity had a negative relationship with type of support (r = $-$0.126, p $<$.07), sources of support (r = $-$0.009, p $<$.89) and the summary SSI score (r = $-$0.119, p $<$.09). There was a positive yet non-significant relationship between Ethnicity and prenatal symptoms (r = 0.047, p $<$.51).

Household Composition had a significant positive relationship with types of support (r = 0.259, p $<$.0002), sources of support (r = 0.221, p $<$.0019) and the summary support score (r = 0.266, p $<$.0002). There was a negative relationship between Household Composition and prenatal symptoms (r = $-$0.047, p $<$.51), although this relationship did not approach significance.

Circular migration in the Puerto Rican subset had a negative non-significant relationship with all support measures. There was a positive relationship between Circular Migration and prenatal symptoms (r = 0.117, p $<$.26).

Stepwise regression analysis demonstrated that psychological symptoms was most highly correlated with prenatal symptoms, accounting for 52% of the variance. A total of 56% of the variance was accounted for by the variables of psychological symptoms, positive symptoms, income, SSI Sum and hours worked per week.

This study demonstrated the cultural and socioeconomic function of social support in Latina women. The results conflict with previous studies of non-Latinas that have shown the positive effect of social support on a variety of medical and social conditions. Questions are raised regarding the mechanism and role of social support in ethnic sub-cultures and lower socioeconomic classes. Further research is recommended in studying the Latino response to social support as well as the function of social support in pregnancy.
Notes: Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 56-09, Section: B, page: 4837.

Thesis (PH.D.)--TEMPLE UNIVERSITY, 1995.

School code: 0225.