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Reducing Prenatal Risk and Improving Birth Outcomes: The Public Health Nursing Role
Author(s) -
Schmitz Kathleen,
Reif LuAnn
Publication year - 1994
Publication title -
public health nursing
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.471
H-Index - 55
eISSN - 1525-1446
pISSN - 0737-1209
DOI - 10.1111/j.1525-1446.1994.tb00398.x
Subject(s) - psychosocial , medicine , apgar score , prenatal care , public health , pregnancy , obstetrics , public health nursing , medical record , nursing , birth weight , environmental health , psychiatry , population , radiology , biology , genetics
We conducted a descriptive study to determine the relationship between prenatal risk and birth outcomes in the antepartal caseloads of rural public health nurses. A convenience sample of 41 low‐income pregnant women was assessed for prenatal risk by the nurses at the time of admission and again after 32 weeks' gestation. Birth outcome data were collected from maternal and infant hospital medical records. Analysis of the difference in mean scores from the first to the second assessment indicated a statistically significant change in the prenatal psychosocial risk score ( P = 0.000) after public health nursing care. Physiologic and psychosocial risks at both assessment points were related to only one infant outcome measure: the 5‐minute Apgar score. Psychosocial risk in late pregnancy accounted for 22% of the variance in 5‐minute Apgar scores.