Authors: Anne L Dunlop Kristi Logue Castalia Thorne
Publish Date: 2016/08/25
Volume: 20, Issue: 1, Pages: 28-38
Abstract
Objectives To investigate whether maternal health risk assessment and behavioral intervention in the neonatal intensive care unit NICU improves women’s health care seeking and health behaviors following the birth of a very low birth weight VLBW infant Methods Using a quasiexperimental nonequivalent control group pretest/posttest design 80 women who had given birth to a VLBW infant that was admitted to the NICU were enrolled into one of two cohorts 40 into a ‘Minimal Intervention’ cohort who received a single session risk assessment and health education pamphlets and 40 into an ‘Enhanced Intervention’ cohort who received five counseling sessions targeting identified risks The proportion of women with specific health care seeking and health behaviors in the two cohorts were compared at baseline and 3 and 9months postintervention Results Women in the Enhanced Intervention cohort were more likely to attend the postpartum visit 73 vs 48 p = 004 ingest folic acid daily 65 vs 19 p 0001 and correctly and consistently use a method of contraception 82 vs 63 p = 003 over the 9month followup period In multivariate analysis the betweencohort differences in daily folic acid use aOR = 345 95 CI 161–740 and correct and consistent use of a method of contraception aOR = 146 95 CI 105–206 remained statistically significant at 9months and the reduction in risk of unintended pregnancy nearly achieved statistical significance aOR = 062 95 CI 012–10 Conclusions for Practice This study provides support for the implementation of maternal risk assessment and behavioral intervention in the NICU setting to promote women’s positive health care seeking and health behaviors
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