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Relationships among maternal–fetal attachment, prenatal depression, and health practices in pregnancy
Author(s) -
Lindgren Kelly
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
research in nursing and health
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.836
H-Index - 85
eISSN - 1098-240X
pISSN - 0160-6891
DOI - 10.1002/nur.1023
Subject(s) - pregnancy , parity (physics) , marital status , depression (economics) , multilevel model , medicine , ethnic group , prenatal care , psychology , demography , clinical psychology , population , environmental health , genetics , physics , macroeconomics , particle physics , machine learning , sociology , computer science , anthropology , economics , biology
The purpose of this study was to investigate a conceptual model in which depression was proposed to have direct negative effects on positive health practices as well as indirect negative effects through maternal–fetal attachment (MFA). Participants were 252 adult pregnant women, between 20 and 40 weeks postgestation, who were recruited from five prenatal care sites. Data were collected using mailed self‐report instruments measuring MFA, depression, health practices, and demographic and pregnancy information. Hierarchical regression was used to examine direct and indirect effects of depression, person characteristics (maternal age, pregnancy risk status, parity, ethnicity, education, income, marital status), and MFA on health practices. Results of the study supported the conceptual model. Higher education, lower parity, and being partnered predicted more positive health practices ( p <05). After controlling for person characteristics, depression was found to be a significant predictor of MFA. Both depression and MFA were significant predictors of positive health practices but in opposite directions. Depression had a negative relationship and MFA a positive relationship with positive health practices. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Res Nurs Health 24: 203–217, 2001