183101 Disparities in the availability of social network support to pregnant mothers - Findings from 2005 Los Angeles Mommy and Baby (LAMB) Project

Wednesday, October 29, 2008: 1:30 PM

Yvonne Y. Lau, MPH, RD , Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health, Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, Los Angeles, CA
Shin Margaret Chao, PhD, MPH , Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health, Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, Los Angeles, CA
Chandra Higgins, MPH , Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health, Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, Los Angeles, CA
Giannina M. Donatoni, PhD, MT(ASCP) , Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health, Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, Los Angeles, CA
Marian Eldahaby , Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health, Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, Los Angeles, CA
Karen M. Coller, PhD, MPH , Department of Population, Family, and Reproductive Health, Johns Hopkins School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD
Michael C. Lu, MD, MPH , Department of Community Health Sciences, University of California Los Angeles School of Public Health, Los Angeles, CA
Cynthia Harding, MPH , Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health, Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, Los Angeles, CA
     
Objective: Adequate social support during pregnancy can moderate maternal stress and in turn promote healthful behaviors that can improve birth outcomes. We examined racial disparity associated with social support.

Methods: LAMB is a biennial, population-based survey modeled after the Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System. Women were asked six questions on instrumental and emotional support. The sum of �yes' (help being available when needed) from the six questions constituted the composite social support score. Mean score was compared across race, place of birth, marital status, and income.

Results: The mean social support score for the 5211 women who completed the survey was 4.5 out of 6, with score among White being the highest (5.0, CI=4.9,5.1) and Latinas being the lowest (4.0, CI=3.9,4.1). However, marked difference was found between Latinas born in the United States (4.5, CI=4.4,4.7) and foreign-born Latinas (3.6, CI=3.4,3.9). Foreign-born women who have lived in the US for >15 years (4.3, CI=4.1-4.5) had significantly higher social support score than those who have lived in the US <5 years (3.6, CI=3.4-3.8). Married women (4.7, CI=4.6,4.8) had significantly higher mean score than unmarried women (4.2, CI=4.1,4.3), and income gradient was evident regardless of marital status.

Conclusion: Social network support varied among racial/ethnic populations, and by years lived in the US. New immigrants may have harder time obtaining help. Marital status and income were also predictors of social support.

Learning Objectives:
1. Identify the demographic factors associated with availability of social support. 2. Learn about target population warranting more social support. 3. Identify potential strategies to impact target population.

Keywords: Pregnancy, Maternal Well-Being

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am a research analyst with this project.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

See more of: Maternal Mental Health During and After Pregnancy
See more of: Maternal and Child Health