Susan Gennaro

Dating violence in college women: associated physical injury, healthcare usage, and mental health symptoms.

BackgroundCollege-aged women report experiencing violence from a partner within the dating experience. ObjectivesThis study used a correlational design, to report physical injury, mental health symptoms, and healthcare associated with violence in the dating experiences of college women. MethodsA convenience sample of 863 college women between 18 and 25 years of age from a private, historically Black university in the South, and a private college in the mid-Atlantic completed the Abuse Assessment Screen, a physical injury checklist, and the Symptom Checklist—R-90. Data analysis consisted of frequencies, ANOVA, and MANOVA. ResultsAlmost half (48%) (n = 412) reported violence and, of these, 39% (n = 160) reported more than one form of violence. The most commonly reported injuries were scratches, bruises, welts, black eyes, swelling, or busted lip; and sore muscles, sprains, or pulls. Victims had significantly higher scores on depression, anxiety, somatization, interpersonal sensitivity, hostility, and global severity index than nonvictims. Victims of multiple forms of violence had significantly higher mental health scores and reported greater numbers of injuries than victims of a single form of violence. Less than half of those injured sought healthcare for injuries and less than 3% saw a mental health professional. DiscussionStudy findings suggest the importance of screening and identification of victims of violence. Knowledge of physical and mental health effects of violence can guide intervention, prevention, and health promotion strategies. Future research is needed to describe barriers to seeking healthcare, screening practices of college health programs, and programs to identify victims.

Postpartal Anxiety and Depression in Mothers of Term and Preterm Infants

This study examined differences in anxiety and depression in mothers of term and preterm infants in the first week postpartum and over the next 6 weeks. Mothers of 41 preterm infants were matched with 41 mothers of term infants on parity, type of delivery, age, and race. Sixteen mothers of preterm infants and 10 mothers of term infants completed all 7 weeks of data collection. Mothers of preterm infants were significantly more anxious and depressed than mothers of term infants in the first postpartal week but this difference did not persist over time. Maternal affect was unrelated to parity or type of delivery in the first postpartal week and over time. There were no differences among mothers of premature infants in initial anxiety or depression, based on the level of illness of the infant.

Anxiety, depression, and hostility in mothers of preterm infants.

Anxiety, depression, and hostility in 47 mothers of high-risk preterm infants were tested at the time of infant discharge and when the infant was 9 months old. Mothers of these high-risk preterms were significantly more anxious and depressed before their infant was discharged than when the infant was 9 months old. Before infant discharge, multiparas were significantly more depressed than primiparas. Additionally, mothers whose infants remained in the hospital longer than the mean of 51 days were significantly less depressed at infant discharge than were mothers whose infants had shorter hospital stays. Maternal anxiety, depression, and hostility did not differ based on marital status, maternal education, socioeconomic status, or maternal age at the time of infant discharge or when the infant was 9 months old.

Psychological and Physiological Stress: Impact on Preterm Birth

Stress increases corticotropin-releasing hormone and may ultimately result in increased uterine contractility. Stress also increases cytokine production, which independently may lead to preterm birth or increase susceptibility to infection, thereby increasing the risk of preterm birth. Finally, stress may change health behaviors that lead to preterm birth. Research findings on the relationship between stress and preterm birth have been contradictory. In this article, the authors propose a model of the relationship between stress and preterm birth, evaluate the research on stress and pregnancy outcomes, and discuss the implications for nursing practice and research.

Parenting the post-NICU premature infant.

ABSTRACTThe birth of a premature infant is stressful for family members who must adjust to unfamiliar surroundings, learn new vocabularies, cope with the infant’s uncertain survival and outcome, maintain vigilance at the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), and eventually assume care for a recovering infant at home. Nursing research has focused on many issues related to parenting prematurely born infants, including parenting during the initial hospitalization, concerns of mothers about infant discharge, the relationship between premature infants and their mothers during the first 2 years after hospital discharge, the quality of the home environment on premature infant outcomes, parenting after the first 2 years, and interventions to improve parenting. This article focuses on research about parenting the post-NICU discharge infant to assist nurses in giving comprehensive, evidence-based care.

Maternal periodontal disease, pregnancy, and neonatal outcomes.

The purpose of this article is to review the current literature on the association between maternal periodontal disease and poor pregnancy and neonatal outcomes and outline the role nurses can play in improving the oral health of pregnant women. Maternal periodontal disease is linked to preterm birth, low birthweight, and preterm low birthweight, but treatment of periodontal disease during pregnancy has been shown to be safe and effective. Nurses, nurse practitioners, and nurse-midwives are in a position to educate pregnant women on the benefits of good oral health and identify and refer women who are in need of dental care for treatment.

The correlation of sucking behaviors and Bayley Scales of Infant Development at six months of age in VLBW infants.

The purpose of this study was to identify early predictors of developmental outcomes in infants of very low birth weight (< or = 1,500 g). The sample consisted of 19 infants with a mean birth weight of 1,238 g and a mean gestational age at birth of 29.1 weeks. The instruments used were the Kron Nutritive Sucking Apparatus, the Neonatal Morbidity Scale, and the Bayley Scales of Infant Development (BSID). Mean pressure generated by each suck and the length of sucking bursts were positively correlated (p < .05) with the Psychomotor Scale of the BSID. As a predictor of developmental outcomes at 6 months of age, nutritive sucking demonstrated a 78% specificity and an 80% sensitivity, as compared with neonatal morbidity, 58% and 69%, respectively. In a small sample of relatively healthy preterm infants, their ability to suck helped identify those with questionable early development.

Stress and Preterm Labor and Birth in Black Women

OBJECTIVE To examine (a) 3 commonly used measures of stress during pregnancy, (b) changes in stress over time to determine when stress is highest, and (c) whether any of the stress measures predict who will deliver preterm in pregnant Black women. DESIGN Prospective descriptive study. SETTING Perinatal evaluation center and outpatient clinics of a teaching hospital in the northeast. PARTICIPANTS Fifty-nine Black women: 39 were recruited in preterm labor from a Perinatal Evaluation Center, and 20 experiencing healthy pregnancies were recruited from the prenatal clinic. MEASURES Stress was measured using 2 paper and pencil tests (the Prenatal Distress Questionnaire and the Perceived Stress Scale) and corticotropin-releasing hormone. RESULTS There was not a high correlation between stress measures. Stress at 28 weeks as measured by Prenatal Distress Questionnaire and Perceived Stress Scale was at its highest, but corticotropin-releasing hormone increased to 32 weeks and then decreased. CONCLUSIONS Perceived stress, prenatal distress, and corticotropin-releasing hormone do not all appear to be measuring the same phenomenon. Screening for stress in Black women at 28 weeks requires further research as perceived stress levels in Black women experiencing preterm labor around 28 weeks differentiated women who delivered preterm infants from Black women who delivered at term.

Making evidence-based practice a reality in your institution.

There are many barriers to ensuring that nursing practice is based on research evidence. This article provides several resources to help the practicing nurse identify what evidence is available upon which to make practice changes. Additionally, strategies for supporting change are discussed and a case study of one particular evidenced-based change—1:1 support by nurses for women in labor—is examined.

Very low birth-weight infants: parental visiting and telephoning during initial infant hospitalization.

The purposes of this study were to examine visiting and telephoing patterns of families of very low birth-weight (VLBW) infants during their initial hospitalization and to identify factors related to visiting and telephoning. The sample of 65 VLBW infants (< 1,500 gm) and their families was followed for 6 weeks in the special care nurseries. Mothers were the primary visitors, with the typical mother visiting the nursery twice per week. Fathers and other family members made most of their visits in the first few weeks with minimal involvement thereafter. During a typical week the number of telephone calls to the nursery from mothers ranged from one to three. Fathers and other family members made minimal calls. Significantly fewer visits were made by families in which the mother was unmarried, the mother was younger, Medicaid was the type of insurance, annual income was less than