Financial strain and birth weight: the mediating role of psychological distress

Mitchell, Amanda M.; Christian, Lisa M.

doi:10.1007/s00737-016-0696-3

Cited by 23 publications

(23 citation statements)

References 51 publications

(69 reference statements)

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…This finding is consistent with previous research conducted among pregnant women in the Czech Republic which showed that perceived discrimination was associated with increased odds of postpartum depression [37]. Similarly, a population-based study of young (ages [18][19][20] women in the Midwest region of the U.S. found a positive association between discrimination and depressive symptoms [38]. That study also found a positive association between discrimination and perceived stress [38], which was not observed in our study.…”

Section: Plos Onesupporting

confidence: 92%

“…Few studies have examined other sources of psychosocial stress, such as caregiving for an ill family member, financial hardship, and job strain, which may also be associated with elevated levels of other stressors and ultimately adverse pregnancy outcomes [19,20]. For example, it is possible that caregivers experience financial strain, and subsequent depression [21], as a result of missed work.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Relationships between psychosocial stressors among pregnant women in San Francisco: A path analysis

et al. 2020

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Pregnant women who experience psychosocial stressors, such as stressful life events, poor neighborhood quality, and financial hardship, are at an increased risk for adverse pregnancy outcomes. Yet, few studies have examined associations between multiple stressors from different sources, which may be helpful to better inform causal pathways leading to adverse birth outcomes. Using path analysis, we examined associations between multiple selfreported stressor exposures during and before pregnancy in the Chemicals in Our Bodies-2 study (N = 510), a demographically diverse cohort of pregnant women in San Francisco. We examined associations between eight self-reported exposures to stressors and three responses to stress which were assessed via interview questionnaire at the 2 nd trimester. Stressors included: neighborhood quality, stressful life events, caregiving, discrimination, financial strain, job strain, food insecurity, and unplanned pregnancy. Perceived stress, depression, and perceived community status were included as indicators of self-reported stress response. Our model indicated that women who experienced discrimination and food insecurity had a 3.76 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.60, 5.85) and 2.67 (95% CI = 1.31, 4.04) increase in depression scale scores compared to women who did not experience discrimination and food insecurity, respectively. We additionally identified job strain and caregiving for an ill family member as strong predictors of increased depressive symptoms (β = 1.63, 95% CI = 0.29, 3.07; β = 1.48, 95% CI = 0.19, 2.70, respectively). Discrimination, food insecurity, and job strain also influenced depression indirectly through the mediating pathway of increasing perceived stress, although indirect effects were less precise. In our study population, women who experienced discrimination, food insecurity, job strain and caregiving for an ill family member had an increased number of depressive symptoms compared to women who did not experience these stressors. Results from our study highlight the complex relationships between stressors and stress responses and may help to identify possible mediating pathways leading to adverse pregnancy outcomes.

show abstract

Section: Plos Onesupporting

confidence: 92%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Relationships between psychosocial stressors among pregnant women in San Francisco: A path analysis

et al. 2020

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Maternal mental well-being and stress during pregnancy represent critical determinants of pregnancy outcomes and PTB risk. For example, maternal depression and psychological stress may trigger a pro-inflammatory state, doubling the risk of PTB and adverse birth outcomes (27,(41)(42)(43). Maternal depression and anxiety can also negatively impact motherchild bonding and child development in the long term (44)(45)(46).…”

Section: Experience-based and Prospective Interventionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Strategic Program for Risk Assessment and Intervention to Mitigate Environmental Stressor-Related Adverse Pregnancy Outcomes in the Indian Population

Jain¹,

Jain²,

Metz³

et al. 2021

Front. Reprod. Health

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The Problem: Global environmental stressors of human health include, but are not limited to, conflict, migration, war, natural disasters, climate change, pollution, trauma, and pandemics. In combination with other factors, these stressors influence physical and mental as well as reproductive health. Maternal stress is a known factor for adverse pregnancy outcomes such as preterm birth (PTB); however, environmental stressors are less well-understood in this context and the problem is relatively under-researched. According to the WHO, major Indian cities including New Delhi are among the world's 20 most polluted cities. It is known that maternal exposure to environmental pollution increases the risk of premature births and other adverse pregnancy outcomes which is evident in this population.Response to the Problem: Considering the seriousness of this problem, an international and interdisciplinary group of researchers, physicians, and organizations dedicated to the welfare of women at risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes launched an international program named Optimal Pregnancy Environment Risk Assessment (OPERA). The program aims to discover and disseminate inexpensive, accessible tools to diagnose women at risk for PTB and other adverse pregnancy outcomes due to risky environmental factors as early as possible and to promote effective interventions to mitigate these risks. OPERA has been supported by the Worldwide Universities Network, World Health Organization (WHO) and March of Dimes USA.Addressing the Problem: This review article addresses the influence of environmental stressors on maternal-fetal health focusing on India as a model population and describes the role of OPERA in helping local practitioners by sharing with them the latest risk prediction and mitigation tools. The consequences of these environmental stressors can be partially mitigated by experience-based interventions that build resilience and break the cycle of inter- and-transgenerational transmission. The shared knowledge and experience from this collaboration are intended to guide and facilitate efforts at the local level in India and other LMIC to develop strategies appropriate for the jurisdiction for improving pregnancy outcomes in vulnerable populations.

show abstract

“…For example, one study among pregnant women in South Africa found food insecurity was associated with depression, substance dependence, and anxiety [18]. Another study conducted in the United States found that nancial strain was positively associated with depressive symptoms, anxiety, perceived stress, and pregnancy-speci c distress, and negatively associated with birth weight; depression mediated the relationship between nancial strain and birth weight [19].…”

Section: Financial Strain and Pregnancymentioning

confidence: 99%

Exploring Factors Associated with Pregnant Womxn’s Experiences of Material Hardship during COVID-19

Johnson

2021

Preprint

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the financial insecurity of women and their families globally. Some studies have explored the impact of financial strain among pregnant women, in particular, during the pandemic. However, less is known about the factors associated with pregnant women’s experiences of material hardship. Methods: This study examined the factors associated with pregnant women’s experiences of material hardship during the COVID-19 pandemic using data collected from 183 pregnant womxn who participated in an online Qualtrics panel survey during January 2021. In addition to socio-demographic characteristics, individuals were asked about their finances and predictors of financial well-being, mental health symptoms, and intimate partner violence experiences. Ordinary least squares regression was used to calculate unadjusted and adjusted estimates. Study findings showed that the majority of womxn in the sample experienced at least one form of material hardship in the past year. Results: Economic self-sufficiency, financial strain, posttraumatic stress disorder, and economic abuse were all significantly associated with material hardship. Conclusions: Overall, findings are consistent with other studies that have documented the association between financial hardship and mental health symptoms among pregnant womxn during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, a unique contribution of this study is that it highlights the significant, positive association between economic abuse, a unique form of intimate partner violence, and material hardship among pregnant womxn during the pandemic. These findings suggest the need for policy and practice interventions that help to ameliorate the financial insecurity experienced by some pregnant womxn, as well as respond to associated bidirectional vulnerabilities (e.g., mental health symptoms, experiences of intimate partner violence).

show abstract

Financial strain and birth weight: the mediating role of psychological distress

Cited by 23 publications

References 51 publications

Relationships between psychosocial stressors among pregnant women in San Francisco: A path analysis

Relationships between psychosocial stressors among pregnant women in San Francisco: A path analysis

A Strategic Program for Risk Assessment and Intervention to Mitigate Environmental Stressor-Related Adverse Pregnancy Outcomes in the Indian Population

Exploring Factors Associated with Pregnant Womxn’s Experiences of Material Hardship during COVID-19

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About