Sharon Telleen

The Effect of Social Support and Acculturation on Postpartum Depression in Mexican American Women

Postpartum depression was studied in 66 multiparous Mexican American women using a prospective longitudinal design. Interviews were conducted at 34 to 36 weeks prenatally and 4 to 6 weeks postpartum. Women expressing prenatal depression were more likely to continue to experience depression postpartum. Other predictors included a high need for postpartum support, specific support network characteristics, acculturation, and poor quality relationships within the family. It is important for the health care provider to assess the presence of depressive symptoms and available social support during the prenatal period and work with Mexican American mothers to increase support and secure help in dealing with daily life stressors.

The relationship between social support and maternal behaviors and attitudes: A meta-analytic review

Used meta-analysis to analyze 66 studies that evaluated the relationship between social support available to the mother and maternal behaviors and attitudes. Investigators sampled relatively homogeneous populations of white, middle-class, married mothers of young children without physical or mental disabilities. A variety of instruments were used to assess key study variables. Significant correlations existed between both emotional and material support and maternal behaviors. Implications of these findings for funding of family support programs and for professionals working with mothers are discussed.

Access to oral health services for urban low-income Latino children: social ecological influences

OBJECTIVES Using an ecological conceptual model, this study examined the social context, structural, and behavioral factors within an immigrant community that contribute to increased access and use of oral health services by Latino children. The predictors of health service use at the level of the individual, the family, the provider, and the health service system were studied for their effects on the initiation of care, continuity of care, and frequency of planned visits. METHODS In-depth face-to-face interviews were conducted with 320 Latino mothers regarding their use of oral health services for 4-8-year-old children [Mexican (n = 221), Puerto Rican (n = 69), and Central and South American (n = 30)]. Outcome measures of dental care utilization were early age at initiation of care, continuity of care, and frequency of planned dental visits. RESULTS Regular planned dental visits were significantly related to the structural variables of household income and provider availability. The initiation of dental care was related to the mothers beliefs about the value of early preventive dental care. Mothers were more likely to continue care if they believed that the purpose was to keep the childs teeth healthy and had satisfactory communication with the dentist. CONCLUSIONS Identifying the structural and behavioral factors that increase the likelihood of the use of oral health services can provide the basis for developing effective interventions specific to Latino children at the neighborhood level. The study findings can be also used for designing culturally appropriate oral health promotion programs and provider coordination of care.

Social Support in Mexican American Childbearing Women

Because the Mexican American population in the United States is increasing, nurses will inevitably come into contact with members of this cultural group. Social support is essential for women to adapt to the demands of the perinatal period, and Mexican American childbearing women face particular challenges in obtaining social support. In this article, traditional roles and social support in Mexican American families are described, the challenges of delivering prenatal care within these traditions are discussed, and strategies for nursing intervention are offered.

Improving Information Access for Public Health Professionals

Fundamental to our protection against biological weapons and the detection of disease outbreaks is the need to strengthen our surveillance systems. Improved electronic communications between local, state, and federal public health agencies provide a way for health officials to share information on unusual disease outbreaks and provide important health alert information. This article describes a model of a partnership between a regional medical library of the National Library of Medicine, a school of public health, and federally qualified community health centers. This project upgraded technology and provided public health professional training on Internet information and resources for local public health agencies.

An ecological developmental community initiative to reduce youth violence: safe schools/healthy students

A social ecological framework integrated the six elements of the U.S. Department of Education Safe Schools/Healthy Students Initiative in High School District 201, Cook County, Illinois. Program components were organized across ecological levels (community-wide strategies, school-wide strategies, classrooms, and targeted individual students) along the developmental continuum from preschool to Grade 12. The goal of the community initiative was to promote positive youth development and social and emotional learning in all youth settings in the community, including the schools. There were demonstrated program effects for each of the components of the Initiative. The coalition and the programs activities have been sustained and have brought new interagency collaboration to more effectively serve Latino immigrant youth and their families.

Predictors of Hepatitis B Immunization Status in Korean American Children

This study assesses the predictive factors of social context and ethnicity on childhood hepatitis B immunization status among Korean American children living in an urban area. Logistic regression analysis revealed that maternal perceptions of benefits (OR = 3.24, 95% CI = 1.23–9.63) and barriers (OR = 0.4, 95% CI = 0.25–0.89) were important predictors of hepatitis B immunization status. Among children ages 2–5 years in this study, children born prior to the adoption of new immunization guidelines in 1994 were less likely to have received all three doses of hepatitis B vaccine (adjusted OR = 0.69, 95% CI = 0.43–0.80). An informal social support network providing information concerning parenting and health care of children was also associated with an increased probability of obtaining the immunization (adjusted OR = 2.76, 95% CI = 1.25–7.66). Mothers history of adequate prenatal care (χ2 = 3.98, p < 0.05) was significantly related to immunization status. Major perceived barriers in accessing preventive health care include burden of cost, language barrier, and difficulty remembering the immunization schedule.

Acquisition of prepositions in language‐delayed preschoolers: Is intervention effective?

Many language-delayed children experience difficulty with prepositions, but few instructional guidelines exist. A group of 25 language-delayed preschoolers made significant gains on a test measuring comprehension of 20 prepositions following five months of systematic instruction by classroom teachers in a preschool setting. They continued to improve on a second post-test after four additional months of instruction. The instructional method is discussed in detail, and an analysis of the order of difficulty of the prepositions is presented.

The Social Ecology of the Transition to Work

SUMMARY The State of Illinois provided intensive case management to assist women making the transition from welfare to work. Case managers involved in this process discovered that a variety of challenges faced the women. A social ecological approach to organizing these challenges found six distinct considerations: (1) awareness of the requirements of the law; (2) the environmental context and social norms common in a neighborhood; (3) family support, family structure and family expectations; (4) emotional well-being; (5) literacy and education; and (6) appropriate expectations of the work environment.

Developing a State Outcomes Monitoring System in Public Health Maternal and Child Health

State outcomes monitoring systems are increasingly important as state governments develop outcomes-based accountability in response to recent federal legislation. A state outcomes monitoring system developed for state and local maternal and child public health departments allows for outcomes research as well as administration and management.