ENVIRONMENTAL STIMULATION BY LOW INCOME MOTHERS AND ITS RELATIONSHIP TO PRENATAL EXPECTATIONS AND SOCIAL SUPPORT.
Contributors: University of Texas at Austin.
Published: 1986
Number of pages: 198
Subjects: Health Sciences, Nursing.
Description: The purpose of this study was to explore the nature and scope of environmental stimulation that Black mothers of the lower socioeconomic class provided their infants during the first month of life. Additionally, the study investigated the relationship of mothers' prenatal expectations of their infants' abilities and of maternal social support and the impact of these variables on the environmental stimulation they provided postnatally.

The study design was a short-term longitundinal and correlational design beginning in the third trimester of pregnancy and continuing until the infant was 4 to 6 weeks of age. The subjects consisted of 26 lower SES Black mothers and their first-born infants.

Five instruments were used in the study to measure the variables. The concept of environmental stimulation was assessed using the Parent-Infant Interaction Observation During Feeding (Osofsky 1982) and the HOME (Caldwell 1970). Prenatal expectations were evaluated utilizing questions from the Prenatal Questionnaire (NCAP, Barnard and Eyres 1977) and the Knowledge of Infant Behavior (Meyers 1982). Norbeck Social Support Questionnaire (Norbeck 1982) and questions from the Prenatal Questionnaire (NCAP, Barnard and Eyres 1977) were used to assess the concept of social support.

Mothers were shown as being attentive and sensitive to their infants' needs, providing some visual stimulation, but speaking and touching infrequently. Maternal behaviors were stable over time with 4 of the 9 categories in Osofsky's observational measure showing significant positive correlations between the feeding situations during the first few days postnatally and 4-6 weeks postnatally. For the most part, evidence did not support a relationship between prenatal expectations and social support and environmental stimulation provided postnatally. Poor scores on two instruments measuring maternal expectations of infants' abilities did indicate a knowledge deficit of newborn behavior.
Notes: Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 47-12, Section: B, page: 4824.

Thesis (PH.D.)--THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN, 1986.

School code: 0227.