Stress and social support in high-risk pregnancy.
Relationships of stress, social support, and risk in pregnancy were tested in low-income women receiving outpatient antepartal care. Nineteen high-risk and 20 low-risk women completed the State Anxiety Inventory and Brown's Support Behavior Inventory. Urinary catecholamine levels from a single morning urine sample, determined using High Performance Liquid Chromatography, were used as the indicator of physiological stress. There was a significant difference between the groups in epinephrine level, but not in norepinephrine level, anxiety, or social support scores. In the high-risk group, norepinephrine level and partner support were negatively correlated; there were no other significant correlations. In the low-risk group, epinephrine level was positively correlated with norepinephrine level and age; anxiety was negatively correlated with partner support and age.
Kemp
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VH
Department of Parent-Child Nursing, School of Nursing, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta 30912.
Hatmaker
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DD
D002395:Catecholamines / Q000652:urine; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000523:psychology*; D011581:Psychological Tests; D012931:Social Environment; D012944:Social Support; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000652:urine
D002395:Catecholamines