Cultural Practices and Social Support of Pregnant Women in a Northern New Mexico Community

PURPOSE: To describe the experience of social support in Hispanic families during pregnancy. DESIGN: Ethnographic investigation, conducted from November 1995 to November 1997 in Rio Arriba County of northern New Mexico. METHODS: Seventy-two transcribed verbatim interviews with Hispanic mothers, family members, and health care providers, along with fieldnotes from participant observation, historical data of the region, and area demographics comprised the data for qualitative analysis. FINDINGS: Pregnancy outcomes were positive because of a socialization process that helped pregnant Hispanic women and family members adapt and change to support the pregnancy. This mutual shaping helped reinforce the family structure, integrate cultural beliefs, define roles for both mother and family members, define the nature of mother-child and family-child relationships, and facilitate a positive process through a supportive orientation. CONCLUSIONS: Findings showed the dynamics and context of relationships that constituted social support conducive to healthy birth outcomes in Hispanic families of northern New Mexico. The findings were enlightening concerning the pregnancy process, role adaptation, integration of health care beliefs, and provided ideas for intervention models that might benefit pregnant women, infants, family members, community members, and health care professionals.