205735 Associations between maternal resiliency during pregnancy and maternal health behaviors: Findings from the Los Angeles Mommy and Baby (LAMB) survey

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Fathima Wakeel, PhDc , Department of Community Health Sciences, University of California Los Angeles School of Public Health, Los Angeles, CA
Angie Denisse Otiniano, MPH , School of Public Health Department of Community Health Sciences, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA
Eunice Muthengi Karei, MPH, MSW , Department of Community Health Sciences, University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA
Akilah Wise, MSPH , Department of Health Behavior and Health Education, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
Michael C. Lu, MD, MPH , Department of Community Health Sciences and Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of California Los Angeles School of Public Health and School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA
OBJECTIVE: To ascertain the correlations between maternal resiliency during pregnancy and maternal health behaviors, namely tobacco use during pregnancy as well as breastfeeding initiation and duration. METHODS: Data from the first wave of 2007 Los Angeles Mommy and Baby (LAMB) Survey was used. LAMB is a mail sample survey with telephone follow-up for non-respondents based on multistage clustered design. Our preliminary analyses were based on the unweighted responses of 1,053 women with a live birth in 2007 in Los Angeles County. Maternal resiliency was operationalized as a multi-dimensional construct comprising of personal resources (self-esteem and mastery), social resources (partner, social network, and neighborhood support), and spirituality. Pearson chi square tests were employed to determine the associations between maternal resiliency and health behaviors. RESULTS: Tobacco use was significantly associated with low self-esteem (UOR=3.57; p<0.05), partner support (UOR=3.01-5.97, p<0.001-0.05), and neighborhood support (UOR=3.51; p<0.01) during pregnancy. Failure to initiate breastfeeding was correlated with low partner support (UOR = 4.28; p<0.001). Compared to mothers who breastfed for at least 6 months, those who breastfed for <6 months were 2-4 times more likely to report low self-esteem (UOR=2.44, p<0.05) , partner support (UOR 2.76-3.61; p<0.001-0.01), and neighborhood support (UOR=1.62, p<0.01). DISCUSSION: Low partner support during pregnancy was significantly associated with tobacco use during pregnancy, failure to initiate breastfeeding, and breastfeeding for <6 months. Low self-esteem and neighborhood support were correlated with tobacco use and breastfeeding for <6 months. Programmatic and policy interventions to increase these maternal resiliency resources among pregnant women are warranted.

Learning Objectives:
By the end of this session, the participants will be able to Describe the operationalization of maternal resiliency during pregnancy; Discuss the relationships between maternal resiliency during pregnancy and maternal health behaviors; Discuss programmatic and policy implications of our findings.

Keywords: Breast Feeding, Smoking

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I have been working with the LAMB study project and data for the past three years. I am also currently a PhD candidate.
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: Joint Poster Session: Child Care and Los Angeles Mother Baby Survey
See more of: Maternal and Child Health