Abstract
Objectives:
We assessed associations between psychosocial factors and preterm birth, stratified by race in a prospective cohort study.
Methods:
We surveyed 1898 women who used university and public health prenatal clinics regarding various psychosocial factors.
Results:
African Americans were at higher risk of preterm birth if they used distancing from problems as a coping mechanism or reported racial discrimination. Whites were at higher risk if they had high counts of negative life events or were not living with a partner. The association of pregnancy-related anxiety with preterm birth weakened when medical comorbidities were taken into account. No association with preterm birth was found for depression, general social support, or church attendance.
Conclusions:
Some associations between psychosocial variables and preterm birth differed by race.
Publication types
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Comparative Study
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Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
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Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.
MeSH terms
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Adaptation, Psychological
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Adult
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Anxiety / complications
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Anxiety / ethnology
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Anxiety / psychology
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Attitude to Health / ethnology
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Birth Rate / ethnology*
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Black or African American* / education
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Black or African American* / ethnology
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Black or African American* / psychology
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Black or African American* / statistics & numerical data
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Educational Status
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Female
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Health Behavior / ethnology
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Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice
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Humans
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Life Change Events
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North Carolina / epidemiology
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Obstetric Labor, Premature* / ethnology
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Obstetric Labor, Premature* / psychology
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Pregnancy
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Pregnancy Outcome / ethnology
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Pregnancy Outcome / psychology
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Problem Solving
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Prospective Studies
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Risk Factors
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Social Support
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Stress, Psychological / complications
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Stress, Psychological / ethnology
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Stress, Psychological / psychology
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Surveys and Questionnaires
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White People* / education
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White People* / ethnology
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White People* / psychology
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White People* / statistics & numerical data