Psychosocial thriving during late pregnancy: relationship to ethnicity, gestational weight gain, and birth weight.
OBJECTIVE
To test the relationships between psychosocial thriving (depressive symptoms, health-related lifestyle) and gestational weight gain and birth weight. To test the influences of ethnicity on the relationships between psychosocial thriving and gestational weight gain and birth weight.


METHODS
Baseline data taken from the Austin New Mothers Study.


METHODS
A community hospital in Texas.


METHODS
305 low-risk African American, Hispanic, and White women with full-term pregnancies, singleton births, and Medicaid coverage.


METHODS
Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale, Self Care Inventory, Food Habits Questionnaire, gestational weight gain, and birth weight.


RESULTS
Newborns of African American women had lower birth weights (3,240 g) than newborns of Hispanic (3,422 g) or White women (3,472 g), even though no ethnic differences were found among the mothers on psychosocial variables. Late in pregnancy, women had high levels and prevalence (> 70%) of depressive symptoms regardless of ethnicity, and 50% exceeded recommended gestational weight gains. In full regression models, psychosocial variables were not significant predictors of gestational weight gain or birth weight. Ethnicity also was not a significant moderator of weight outcomes.


CONCLUSIONS
Psychosocial thriving late in pregnancy was unrelated to gestational weight gain or birth weight. Ethnicity did not moderate psychosocial-weight relationships. Although ethnic differences were not found on psychosocial variables, high levels of depressive symptoms and greater than recommended gestational weight gains were prevalent. These findings have implications for maternal health during and beyond pregnancy.
Walker
Lorraine O
LO
School of Nursing, The University of Texas at Austin 78701-1499, USA. lwalker@mail.nur.utexas.edu
Kim
Minseong
M
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D001724:Birth Weight; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003466:Cultural Characteristics; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D015438:Health Behavior / Q000208:ethnology*; D006630:Hispanic or Latino / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D011247:Pregnancy; D011263:Pregnancy Trimester, Third / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000523:psychology*; D011584:Psychology; D012307:Risk Factors; D012494:Sampling Studies; D013781:Texas / Q000453:epidemiology; D015430:Weight Gain; D044465:White People / Q000706:statistics & numerical data