TABLE 1.
Background demographics of study sample at 6 wk postpartum1
| Characteristic | n (%) or mean ± SD | Range |
|---|---|---|
| Number of people living in the home | 4 ± 1 | 2–11 |
| At least 1 older sibling in the home | 161 (34.4) | |
| Mother's education | ||
| College graduate/postgraduate degree | 341 (72.9) | |
| Some college/technical school | 88 (18.8) | |
| Grade school/high school | 32 (6.8) | |
| Unknown/missing | 7 (1.5) | |
| Monthly household income | ||
| ≤$3000 | 137 (29.3) | |
| $3001–5000 | 123 (26.3) | |
| ≥$5001 | 155 (33.1) | |
| Unknown/missing | 53 (11.3) | |
| Marital status | ||
| Not single | 414 (88.5) | |
| Single | 45 (9.6) | |
| Unknown/missing | 9 (1.9) | |
| Employment status | ||
| Employed | 325 (69.4) | |
| Unemployed | 37 (7.9) | |
| Stay at home | 85 (18.2) | |
| Student | 10 (2.1) | |
| Retired/disabled | 1 (0.2) | |
| Unknown/missing | 10 (2.1) | |
| Employment type2 | ||
| Professional and related occupations | 126 (26.9) | |
| Office and administrative support | 38 (8.1) | |
| Management, business, or financial | 21 (4.5) | |
| Service occupation (e.g., food industry) | 18 (3.9) | |
| Sales | 8 (3.9) | |
| Production | 5 (1.1) | |
| Transportation or materials moving | 2 (0.4) | |
| Farming, fishing, and forestry | 1 (0.2) | |
| Other | 105 (22.4) | |
| Unknown/missing | 144 (30.8) | |
| Health care coverage | 453 (96.8) | |
| Participation in WIC (mother, child, or both) | 97 (20.7) | |
| Participation in Childcare Assistance Program | 7 (1.5) | |
| Received food stamps in last 30 d | 48 (10.3) | |
| Mother's race/ethnicity | ||
| Hispanic/Latino | 19 (4.1) | |
| Non-Hispanic/Latino white | 356 (76.1) | |
| Non-Hispanic/Latino nonwhite3 | 55 (11.8) | |
| African American | 19 (4.1) | |
| Asian | 30 (7.2) | |
| Alaskan Native or American Indian | 1 (0.2) | |
| Unknown/missing | 38 (8.1) | |
| Household food security | ||
| Food secure | 429 (91.7) | |
| Low food security | 27 (5.8) | |
| Very low food security | 5 (1.1) | |
| Unknown/missing | 7 (1.5) | |
| Subjective social status4 | ||
| 1 and 2 (low) | 7 (1.5) | |
| 3 and 4 (low–mid) | 70 (14.9) | |
| 5 and 6 (mid) | 176 (37.6) | |
| 7 and 8 (mid–high) | 170 (36.2) | |
| 9 and 10 (high) | 28 (5.9) | |
| Unknown/missing | 17 (3.6) | |
| Perceived economic hardship5 | ||
| Financial strain | 1.1 ± 0.4 | 1.0–3.5 |
| Make ends meet | 2.0 ± 1.0 | 1.0–5.0 |
| Not enough money | 1.8 ± 0.8 | 1.0–4.7 |
1 n = 468. Percentages may not add up to 100 because of rounding. Data that are unknown or missing were not provided by the mother. WIC, Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children.
2Individuals who worked >1 job were asked to describe the job where they worked the most hours per week.
3Includes American Indians or Alaska Natives, Asians, and African Americans.
4The Subjective Social Status scale is depicted as a 10-rung ladder ranging from category 1 (lowest reported social ranking in terms of money, job, and education) to category 10 (highest reported social ranking). Categories were grouped in pairs for the purposes of tabulation. Groups 1 and 2 are considered low subjective status ranks, 9 and 10 are considered high ranks.
5A higher score indicates greater perceived economic hardship. The maximum possible score is 5.