Table 1.
Bivariate Associations With Outcomes |
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---|---|---|---|---|---|
Variable | Definition | Frequencies (n) | % with High Internal Control of Birth Outcomes | % with High Preconceptional Control | % High Control on Both |
Dependent Variables | |||||
Internal Control of Birth Outcomes Scale | Score on 4-item scale measuring internal control for future baby's health (see text): | ||||
≤Median score: low internal control | 44% (273) | ||||
>Median score: high internal control | 56% (341) | ||||
Individual items: “There is nothing I can do to make sure my child is born healthy.” | |||||
Strongly disagree | 67% (413) | ||||
Disagree, agree, or strongly agree “It is my job as a mother to make sure my child is born healthy:” | 33% (200) | ||||
Strongly agree | 60% (370) | ||||
Agree, disagree, or strongly disagree | 40% (243) | ||||
“I could make very few choices that would affect my child's health at birth:” | |||||
Strongly disagree | 58% (355) | ||||
Disagree, agree, or strongly agree | 42% (259) | ||||
“I could do many things to make sure my child is born healthy:” | |||||
Strongly agree | 67% (410) | ||||
Agree, disagree, or strongly disagree | 33% (205) | ||||
Preconceptional Control | “There are things I can do before I become pregnant to make sure my child is born healthy:” | ||||
Strongly agree | 54% (332) | ||||
Agree, disagree, or strongly disagree | 46% (282) | ||||
High internal control (both measures) | High internal control on both measures | 45% (275) | |||
Other combination of responses | 55% (336) | ||||
Birth Experiences | |||||
Prior live birth | Any prior live birth | 48% (295) | 58 | 57 | 46 |
No prior live birth | 52% (319) | 54 | 52 | 44 | |
Any prior preterm birth, low birthweight (LBW) baby, or birth defect | Any baby born preterm, at LBW, or with a birth defect (see text) | 10% (59) | 51 | 53 | 42 |
90% (552) | 56 | 54 | 45 | ||
No prior adverse outcome | |||||
Mother had adverse birth outcome | Mother had any preterm birth or LBW baby | 17% (100) | 62 | 58 | 48 |
Mother did not have adverse outcome | 83% (494) | 54 | 53 | 44 | |
Health Status and Stress | |||||
SF-12 physical component | Norm-based score (see text) | ||||
Summary | ≤54.51 | 44% (269) | 49** | 51 | 39** |
>54.51 | 56% (341) | 61 | 57 | 50 | |
SF-12 mental component | Norm-based score (see text) | ||||
Summary | ≤51.37 | 55% (334) | 54 | 52 | 43 |
>51.37 | 45% (276) | 59 | 57 | 48 | |
Depressive symptoms | Score on 6-item scale measuring symptoms of depression in past week (see text) | ||||
Depression risk | 18% (110) | 50 | 54 | 41 | |
No depression risk | 82% (503) | 59 | 54 | 46 | |
Psychosocial hassles | Score on 12-item scale measuring degree to which common hassles are perceived as stressful in past 12 months (see text) | ||||
≤16 (median): low stress | 46% (282) | 53 | 55 | 45 | |
>16 (median): high stress | 54% (332) | 58 | 53 | 45 | |
Health Care Access | |||||
Regular provider | “Do you have a regular doctor or other health professional you usually go to when you are sick or want medical advice?” | ||||
Yes | 84% (516) | 56 | 54 | 45 | |
No | 16% (97) | 52 | 54 | 44 | |
Health insurance gap | Any time in past 12 months without health insurance coverage of any kind? | ||||
Yes | 23% (144) | 54 | 47* | 42 | |
No | 77% (469) | 56 | 56 | 46 | |
Sociodemographics | |||||
Age (yrs) | 18−34 | 90% (547) | 54** | 51*** | 43** |
35−45 | 10% (64) | 72 | 75 | 64 | |
Race/ethnicity | White, non-Hispanic | 87% (533) | 57* | 56 | 47 |
Othera | 13% (78) | 45 | 44 | 35 | |
Marital status | Married or living with a partner | 64% (392) | 60** | 59** | 49* |
Never married, widowed, divorced/separated | 36% (218) | 48 | 46 | 38 | |
Employment status | Employed part- or full-time | 76% (464) | 57 | 54 | 46 |
Not employed | 24% (149) | 50 | 53 | 44 | |
Educational level | High school graduate or less | 34% (209) | 42*** | 43*** | 32*** |
Some college or more | 66% (405) | 63 | 60 | 52 | |
Poverty | Poverty or near poverty | 33% (171) | 55 | 53 | 44 |
Not poverty | 67% (342) | 60 | 59 | 50 | |
Religious service attendance | <4 times in a typical month | 67% (412) | 53 | 52 | 42 |
≥4 times in a typical month | 33% (201) | 60 | 59 | 50 |
About half of the “other” category is black, non-Hispanic.
Bivariate association significant p < .05 (χ2 test).
Bivariate association significant p < .01(χ2 test).
Bivariate association significant p < .001(χ2 test).