Analyzing How Domains of Social Support Vary Among Pregnant Women from Different Racial and Ethnic Backgrounds

Background: Social support is a multidimensional resource proposed as a potential buffer to stress and subsequent poor health outcomes. Little is known about the differential distribution of the domains of social support among pregnant women from different racial and ethnic backgrounds. An analysis was completed to determine if available domains of social support vary among these groups.

Methods: Telephone interviews were completed before 21 weeks gestation with pregnant women (N=393) who self-selected into a longitudinal study examining maternal and infant outcomes among primarily low-income women receiving care at clinics across Illinois. Race and ethnicity were self-identified. The Medical Outcomes Study Social Support Survey measured four subscales of support: emotional-informational, tangible, affectionate, and positive social interaction. SPSS was used for the analysis. Descriptive statistics were used for sample demographics. ANCOVA was used to examine social support controlling for maternal age, presence of a partner, and income.

Results: Hispanic women had significantly lower overall support scores and lower emotional-informational and affectionate domain scores compared to Non-Hispanic White women (p<.05). Non-Hispanic Black women had significantly lower affectionate domain scores compared to Non-Hispanic White women (p=.007).

Conclusions: This analysis found significant differences in the overall availability of social support as well as several domains of support among women from different racial and ethnic backgrounds. Potential links between income and presence of a partner were also identified. Additional research examining the different subscales of social support is needed to increase understanding of how different types of women perceive the availability of various domains of support.