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Stress in african american pregnancies: testing the roles of various stress concepts in prediction of birth outcomes

  • Published:
Annals of Behavioral Medicine

Abstract

Background: The persistently higher rates of adverse birth outcomes among African American women are a major public health concern.Purpose: The purpose of this study was to explore the relations among psychosocial stress, socioeconomic status, and birth outcomes in African American women.Methods: A prospective survey research design was used to measure stress exposure, subjective responses to stressors, including intrusive effects of life events, and medical and sociodemographic variables in a sample of 178 pregnant African American women. Birth outcomes were obtained from medical charts.Results: Life event exposure was high, but levels of perceived stress and negative emotional responses were low to moderate. Lower income African American women reported significantly greater pregnancy undesirability than higher income African American women. Educational attainment was not related to any of the stress variables, and neither income nor educational attainment was significantly related to birth outcomes. Number of stressful life events significantly predicted 3% additional variance in gestational age after controlling for potential confounders. Psychosocial stress variables altogether accounted for 7% additional variance in gestational age-adjusted birth weight, with event distress and intrusive thoughts concerning severe life events emerging as the significant independent stress predictors.Conclusions: These results contribute to our understanding of the complex etiological processes involved in African American birth outcomes and set the stage for further research into their reproductive health status.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Social Work, University of Southern California, USA

    Tyan Parker Dominguez Ph.D.

  2. Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, USA

    Christine Dunkel Schetter Ph.D.

  3. Department of Psychology, Occidental College, USA

    Roberta Mancuso Ph.D.

  4. Mt. Sinai School of Medicine, Ruttenberg Cancer Center, USA

    Christine M. Rini Ph.D.

  5. Division of Maternal/Fetal Medicine, Burns and Allen Research Center Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, USA

    Calvin Hobel M.D.

Authors
  1. Tyan Parker Dominguez Ph.D.
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  2. Christine Dunkel Schetter Ph.D.
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  3. Roberta Mancuso Ph.D.
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  4. Christine M. Rini Ph.D.
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  5. Calvin Hobel M.D.
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Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Tyan Parker Dominguez Ph.D. or Christine Dunkel Schetter Ph.D..

Additional information

This research was supported by National Institute for Child Health and Human Development Grant RO1–HD29553, and Drs. Mancuso and Rini were supported by National Institute of Mental Health Training Grant MH15750.

We acknowledge the contributions of Loni Castro, M.D., Pam Feldman, Ph.D., Scott Roesch, Ph.D., Cate Walla, R.N., and Grace Woo, Ph.D., who were members of the research team, and we thank Roxane Cohen Silver, Ph.D. for her insights concerning rumination and Melisa Tien for her assistance with manuscript preparation.

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Dominguez, T.P., Schetter, C.D., Mancuso, R. et al. Stress in african american pregnancies: testing the roles of various stress concepts in prediction of birth outcomes. ann. behav. med. 29, 12–21 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1207/s15324796abm2901_3

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