SOCIAL-PSYCHOLOGICAL INFLUENCES ON A NEW MOTHER'S COMPLIANCE WITH THE FIRST NEWBORN EXAMINATION.
Contributors: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Published: 1990
Number of pages: 231
Subjects: Health Sciences, Nursing.; Health Sciences, Public Health.
Description: The purpose of this study was to determine what social-psychological influences motivated a new mother to have her baby's first check up within the first month of life. The study hypotheses were based on the Health Belief Model (Hochbaum 1958).

Data from 114 mothers with healthy singleton first births revealed that the mothers who took their babies for the first check up within the first month of life were not statistically different on any of the study variables except the presence of a phone in the home and race than the mothers who did not take their babies for the first check up within the first month of life. Three other variables showed a tendency to differentiate the groups. These were the supportive role of the father and others in the care of the baby and the responsiveness of the mother to her infant's psychological/emotional needs.

These five variables were tested using logistic regression, three were eliminated and two remained as showing discriminating power. These two variables were the presence of a phone in the home and race. Because of the small number of noncompliant mothers, and the large number of study variables hypotheses testing was difficult.

Fourteen of the 30 noncompliant mothers did not report any measures taken to insure that their babies received early care. Because of this finding, this group was compared to the 16 mothers who attempted to cope with the difficulties that prevented the infant's scheduled appointment. One variable which measured whether the mother derived any benefit to herself from talking with the clinic staff showed evidence of being able to distinguish between the two groups.

The results of this exploratory study suggest that the study instrument needs to be reviewed and revised to insure that the questions are a valid measurement of the variables, taking into consideration the sociodemographic characteristics of the study population. If the study is replicated it should be done with a larger sample.
Notes: Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 51-10, Section: B, page: 4773.

Thesis (DR.P.H.)--THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA AT CHAPEL HILL, 1990.

School code: 0153.