Carol Shieh

Health Literacy and Its Association With the Use of Information Sources and With Barriers to Information Seeking in Clinic-Based Pregnant Women

We investigated health literacy and its association with the use of information sources and with barriers to information seeking in clinic-based pregnant women. The Short Test of Functional Health Literacy in Adults (STOFHLA) was used to measure health literacy in 143 English-speaking low-income pregnant women. About 15% of the participants demonstrated low health literacy. Participants with low health literacy were less likely to use the Internet and more likely to have self-efficacy barriers than participants with high health literacy. Interventions to promote information-seeking skills and Internet access are indicated for women with low health literacy.

Printed health information materials: Evaluation of readability and suitability

This study examined readability and suitability of printed health information materials colleted from multiple sources. In phase I, nursing students used Simple Measure of Gobbledygook (SMOG; McLaughlin, 1969) to assess the readability of 21 materials collected from the community. In phases II and III, nursing students and registered nurses used SMOG and the Suitability Assessment of Materials (SAM; Doak, Doak, & Root, 1996) to evaluate 15 prenatal materials from a Healthy Start program. SMOG assigns a reading grade level based on the number of words with 3 or more syllables. SAM has 22 items in 6 evaluation areas: content, literacy demand, graphics, layout and typography, learning stimulation and motivation, and cultural appropriateness. Major findings included that 53% to 86% of the printed materials had a reading level at or higher than 9th grade; materials lacked summary, interaction, and modeled behaviors, and registered nurses rated more materials as not suitable and fewer as superior for suitability qualities than students. Improving printed materials to have lower reading levels and better suitability qualities are indicated.

Information-seeking and its predictors in low-income pregnant women.

This study examined information-seeking and its predictors (information needs and barriers) in low-income pregnant women. Eighty-four pregnant women from a prenatal clinic were interviewed using three scales that measured the frequency of information-seeking from eight different sources, information needs for 20 pregnancy health topics, and 15 barriers to seeking information, respectively. Most women were black, unmarried, between 20 and 29 years of age, high school educated or less, multigravidas, and in their third trimester of pregnancy. Information needs and barriers were significant predictors of information-seeking. Together, they explained 26% of the variance in the seeking outcome. High information needs and low barriers predicted more frequent information-seeking. First pregnancy and asthma during pregnancy were significant covariates for information-seeking. Information needs and barriers are related to information-seeking among low-income pregnant women. To facilitate pregnant womens information-seeking, health care providers may assess a womans need for information and barriers that the woman experiences when seeking information, and factors such as first pregnancy and asthma.

What do we know about maternal-fetal attachment?

A review of the literature suggests that there are three critical attributes related to the concept of maternal-fetal attachment, including cognitive, affective, and altruistic attachment. Cognitive attachment is the desire to know the baby. Affective attachment is the pleasure associated with thoughts of or interaction with the fetus. Altruistic attachment refers to a desire to protect the unborn child. Existing measurements on maternal-fetal attachment are developed based on low-risk and white pregnant women and previous research has not yet resulted in a consistent theoretical model. Future research should focus on development of culturally sensitive instruments and combining qualitative and quantitative measures to broaden theoretical understanding of the concept. Nursing assessment of maternal-fetal attachment is an on-going process. The nurses role is to reassure those who have developed attachment to their fetuses and to motivate those who are unaware of or unconcerned about their attachment to their fetuses. Collecting data from different attributes of attachment helps nurses identify each womans attachment patterns and areas of concern.

Factors Associated with Health Information-Seeking in Low-Income Pregnant Women

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships of health literacy, self-efficacy, and fetal health locus of control to health information-seeking in low-income pregnant women and the contribution from each factor alone or in combination to the variance in health information-seeking. This was a cross-sectional study of 143 English-speaking pregnant women who were recruited from a prenatal clinic and were 18 years of age or older in 2007–2008. Health literacy, self-efficacy, fetal health locus of control, and health information-seeking were measured using the Short Form of the Test of Functional Health Literacy in Adults, the Health Information Competence Scale, the Fetal Health Locus of Control Scale, and the Pregnancy Health Information-Seeking Scale. Health literacy was not significantly correlated with health information-seeking. Self-efficacy (r = .33) and internal fetal health locus of control (r = .27) demonstrated significant correlations with health information-seeking, and together they accounted for 15% of the variance in health information-seeking. After controlling for covariates, self-efficacy (p = .0006) and internal fetal health locus of control (p = .03) remained significantly associated with health information-seeking. In conclusion, pregnant womens characteristics, such as self-efficacy and internal fetal health locus of control belief, are associated with their health information-seeking during pregnancy.

Understanding the Impact of Health Literacy on Women's Health

Low health literacy negatively affects a womans health knowledge, preventive behavior, ability to navigate the health care system, and ability to care for her children. Interventions to increase a womans heath literacy include written education materials with proper reading level and design, clear communication, and education to increase health knowledge, self-efficacy, and self-advocacy skills. Health literacy should also be incorporated in nursing education programs.

Self-weighing in weight management interventions: A systematic review of literature

BACKGROUND Self-weighing increases a persons self-awareness of current weight and weight patterns. Increased self-weighing frequency can help an individual prevent weight gain. Literature, however, is limited in describing variability in self-weighing strategies and how the variability is associated with weight management outcomes. AIM This review analyzed self-weighing in weight management interventions and the effects of self-weighing on weight and other outcomes. METHODS Twenty-two articles from PubMed, CINAHL, Medline, PsychInfo, and Academic Search Premier were extracted for review. RESULTS These 22 articles reported findings from 19 intervention trials, mostly on weight loss or weight gain prevention. The majority of the reviewed articles reported interventions that combined self-weighing with other self-monitoring strategies (64%), adopted daily self-weighing frequency (84%), and implemented interventions up to six months (59%). One-half of the articles mentioned that technology-enhanced or regular weight scales were given to study participants. Of the articles that provided efficacy data, 75% of self-weighing-only interventions and 67% of combined interventions demonstrated improved weight outcomes. No negative psychological effects were found. CONCLUSIONS Self-weighing is likely to improve weight outcomes, particularly when performed daily or weekly, without causing untoward adverse effects. Weight management interventions could consider including this strategy.

The Feto-Maternal Health Cost of Intimate Partner Violence Among Delivery-Related Discharges in the United States, 2002-2009

Our purpose was to estimate the national prevalence of intimate partner violence (IPV) among delivery-related discharges and to investigate its association with adverse feto-maternal birth outcomes and delivery-related cost. A retrospective cross-sectional analysis of delivery-related hospital discharges from 2002 to 2009 was conducted using the Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS). We used ICD-9-CM codes to identify IPV, covariates, and outcomes. Multivariable logistic regression modeling was used to calculate adjusted odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for the associations between IPV and each outcome. Joinpoint regression was used for trend analysis. During the study period, 3,649 delivery-related discharges were diagnosed with IPV (11.2 per 100,000; 95% CI = [10.0, 12.4]). IPV diagnosis during delivery is associated with stillbirth (AOR = 4.12, 95% CI = [2.75, 6.17]), preterm birth (AOR = 1.97, 95% CI = [1.59, 2.44]), fetal death (AOR = 3.34, 95% CI = [1.99, 5.61]), infant with poor intrauterine growth (AOR = 1.55, 95% CI = [1.01, 2.40]), and increased inpatient hospital care cost (US

Depressive Symptoms and Obesity/Weight Gain Factors Among Black and Hispanic Pregnant Women

5,438.2 vs. US

Comparisons in perceived importance of and needs for maternal gestational weight information between african american and caucasian pregnant women.

4,080.1) per each discharge, incurring an additional cost of US