Psychosocial Factors and Birth Outcome: African American Women in Case Management

The relationship between psychosocial risk factors and birth outcomes among African American pregnant women is explored. The study focuses on social/environmental stressors and proposes a workable model for delivery of services based on case management principles. Unstable income, perinatal medical problems, alcohol use, smoking, access to prenatal care, internal barriers to care, compliance problems, negative experiences with providers, depression, unresolved grief, and fetal substance exposure were significantly associated with low birthweight. Unstable income, compliance problems, internal barriers to care, and poor access to care were significantly associated with preterm delivery. Specific interventions aimed at providing social support, facilitating access to care, health education, and encouragement to verbalize feelings about problems were significantly associated with the number of problems that the client was able to solve. The data indicated the importance of psychosocial, environmental and medical risk factors in the prediction of low birthweight and preterm delivery in a high-risk population.