title: The migration process as a stress factor in pregnant immigrant women in Spain.
abstract: Spain has seen a significant increase of the immigrant population in the past two decades. There are 5.6 million registered immigrants in this country, and 63% of them range in age between 16 and 41 years; 47% of the immigrant population are women. This situation requires additional health care, particularly as it pertains to the sexual and reproductive health of female immigrants. The objective of our study was to determine if there were differences between women of Spanish origin and immigrant women in terms of obstetric outcomes (obstetric history, gestational age at end of gestation, and at delivery) and various psychological variables during the immediate postpartum period. This was a cross-sectional study-we evaluated 30 women of Spanish origin and 30 immigrant women during the immediate postpartum period. During the 4 months after delivery, we proceeded to gather perinatal data for the study participants from their health records, partograms, and nursing assessment notes. Additionally, and following the immediate postpartum period, participants filled out the Stress Perception and Stress Vulnerability Questionnaires, as well as the Optimism Scale. Immigrant women have greater perception of stress (p = .00) and vulnerability to stress (p = .001) than do Spanish women. However, no group differences were found in obstetric variables.
authors.affiliation: University of Granada, Campus Universitario de Cartuja s/n, Granada, Spain.
authors.forename: Francisca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Pérez Ramírez
authors.forename: Inmaculada
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: García-García
authors.forename: Maria Isabel
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Peralta-Ramírez
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001208:Asia / Q000208:ethnology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D054242:Emigrants and Immigrants / Q000523:psychology*; D004641:Emigration and Immigration; D005062:European Union; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007843:Latin America / Q000208:ethnology; D009018:Morocco / Q000208:ethnology; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology*; D013030:Spain; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000453:epidemiology*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: immigration; maternal/child; postpartum; pregnancy; psychiatric/mental health; stress; transcultural health; women