Biopsychosocial profiles of pregnant women at high or low risk to encounter preterm birth

Abstract

A battery of questionnaires consisting of biopsychosocial indices was administered prospectively to a sample of 734 pregnant women in their 12–27th weeks of gestation in prenatal clinics in the community. The purpose of the study was to identify predictors of preterm birth defined by either week of gestation, weight of infant at birth, or both. The findings suggest that the strongest medical predictor of preterm birth defined by week of gestation is risk factors in previous pregnancies, whereas the strongest and most consistent psychological predictor of preterm birth defined by either weight of infant at birth or both week of gestation and weight is the readiness of the pregnant woman to change her life‐style during pregnancy to safeguard the well‐being of the fetus. It is suggested that this scale is a reliable indirect measure of the desirability of pregnancy. Furthermore the profiles of highland low‐risk women to encounter preterm birth, as suggested by cluster analysis and implications for community psychology, are discussed.

An Explanatory Model of Preterm Labor

“…Few have reported no relationship between stress and poor birth outcomes (Curry, 1998;DeMuylder, Wesel, Dramaix, & Candeur, 1992). PTL and LBW have been related to low pregnancy desirability (G. S. Berkowitz & Kasl, 1983;Tadmor & Brandes, 1994), unsatisfactory personal relationships (Richardson, 1987), negative attitude toward pregnancy (G. S. Berkowitz, 1981), and physical and sexual abuse (Curry, Perrin, & Wall, 1998;McFarland, Parker, & Soeken, 1996a, 1996b).…”