Tangible assistance: a simple measure of social support predicts pregnancy outcome.
The association between tangible assistance, a single-item measure of social support, and serious perinatal complications was prospectively measured in 548 rural pregnant women. Those 38 women who reported no or one reliable helper in the third trimester (low tangible assistance) had a higher rate of poor outcomes (at least one of the following: neonatal death, transfer to neonatal intensive care unit, birthweight less than 2500 g or 5-min Apgar score less than 7) than those with 2 or more helpers (13.2% vs. 5.7%, p = 0.08). All of the increase in poor outcomes occurred in women with high sociodemographic risk (at least one of the following: age less than 18, no male partner, or less than high school education). In this subgroup of 121 women, the difference in poor perinatal outcomes was striking (28.6% vs. 7.6%, p = 0.03). The association between tangible assistance and poor outcome remained after controlling for biomedical risk. A simple question about the availability of supportive companions may be clinically useful.
Williamson
H A
HA
Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of Missouri School of Medicine, Columbia 65212.
LeFevre
M
M
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D011247:Pregnancy; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome / Q000523:psychology*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012107:Research Design; D012307:Risk Factors; D012424:Rural Population; D012944:Social Support