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