title: Effects of an internet intervention on mothers' psychological, parenting, and health care utilization outcomes.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this pilot study was to test the effects of an Internet-based intervention, the New Mothers Network, on single, low-income, adolescent, African American mothers' psychological, parenting, and health care utilization outcomes.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  The study was based on social support theory.
  
  
  METHODS
  For mothers in the Intervention Group, MSNTV™ was installed in subjects' homes and connected to the Internet. Data were collected at 1 week, 6 weeks, 3 months, and 6 months following the infant's birth.
  
  
  RESULTS
  For infant health services utilization, 70.6% of those in the Control Group took their infant to the emergency room at least once during the study compared to 35.7% of mothers in the Intervention Group. The New Mothers Network allowed mothers to share their experiences and acquire information from nurses about caring for themselves and their infants.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The New Mothers Network Web site is well poised for nursing driven social support intervention via the Internet, even though access devices are evolving over time.
authors.affiliation: University of Nebraska Medical Center, College of Nursing, Lincoln, Nebraska 68588-0220, USA. drage@unmc.edu
authors.forename: Diane Brage
authors.initials: DB
authors.lastname: Hudson
authors.forename: Christie
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Campbell-Grossman
authors.forename: Melody
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hertzog
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001741:Black or African American / Q000523:psychology*; D002668:Child Rearing / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007224:Infant Care / Q000523:psychology; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D020407:Internet / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D009035:Mothers / Q000523:psychology*; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D016487:Parenting / Q000523:psychology*; D010865:Pilot Projects; D012657:Self-Help Groups / Q000458:organization & administration; D012944:Social Support