A paucity of prenatal data is available concerning prenatal experiences of primigravid women compared with those of multigravid women. Therefore, the objectives of this study were twofold: to compare prenatal personal (demographic and other descriptive elements, including self-esteem) and psychosocial variables (maternal-fetal attachment, marital satisfaction) and to describe perceived pregnancy experiences for both primigravid and multigravid women. Both quantitative and qualitative data were collected using a descriptive mixed-methods design. The data were part of a larger, longitudinal study focused on adjustment to parenthood in military and civilian couples. Married pregnant women who resided on the east and west coasts of the United States were recruited from prenatal care facilities. Participants included 50 pregnant primigravid and 50 multigravid married women recruited during the last trimester of a healthy, uncomplicated pregnancy. The main outcome measures included personal and psychosocial variables (demographics, self-esteem, maternal-fetal attachment, marital satisfaction) and perceived pregnancy experiences. Multigravid women had significantly lower levels of maternal-fetal attachment (p < .00) and marital satisfaction (p < .00) than did primigravid women during their third trimester of pregnancy. The pregnant women's responses clearly reveal that unique and distinct differences exist between the needs of primigravid women and those of multigravid women. Innovative prenatal educational interventions tailored to meet the distinct needs of primigravid and multigravid women are suggested.
Purpose/Aim The purpose of this secondary analysis was to examine the life course patterns associated with risky health behaviors in a sample of 15 incarcerated women who participated in the Life Histories of Women in Prison, 1986–1987 study. Research Questions The research questions that guided this study included: What types of life events comprised these women's lives and how did women respond to these events? In what risky behaviors had they engaged? Are there distinguishable combinations of events, their timing, and women's responses to these events that were associated with their risky health behaviors? Significance/Background Incarcerated women have long been recognized as living troubled and chaotic lives. Because they have been identified as a high‐risk population with similarities to women with HIV, understanding the life patterns of incarcerated women might shed light on the factors playing a role in women's involvement in HIV‐related risky behaviors. The Life Course Theory and the concept of cumulative advantage and disadvantage guided the identification of pathways to risk behaviors associated with HIV and other threats to physical and psychosocial well‐being. Methods Qualitative person‐centered analyses of data from questionnaires and life history interviews were conducted to examine the distinctive variations in women's lives and involved the identification of life events and risky health behaviors across the lifespan. Limitations included inability to clarify women's responses and inability to determine causal relationships. Findings All women described life events characteristic of cumulative disadvantage that began in childhood. Women who described serial/overlapping disadvantage tended to become involved in risky health behaviors during pre‐ or early adolescence. Those reporting isolated disadvantage were more likely to delay involvement in risky health behaviors until later in adolescence or adulthood. Discussion The findings indicate the need for early, trauma‐informed interventions that incorporate women's unique experiences with and responses to physical, emotional, and psychological trauma. Such interventions might help to minimize women's involvement in risky health behaviors and improve health outcomes for women with chaotic lives. Replication of this study in other samples of women with chaotic lives will strengthen the evidence to inform the development of effective interventions.
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