Publication Date

1986

Document Type

Dissertation/Thesis

First Advisor

King, Sondra L.

Degree Name

M.S. (Master of Science)

Legacy Department

Department of Human and Family Resources

LCSH

Pregnancy--Nutritional aspects; Poor women

Abstract

This study investigated the effect of nutrition counseling upon the course and outcome of pregnancy in women from a low income prenatal clinic. Nutrition-related factors that may impinge upon the course and outcome of pregnancy, i.e., prepregnancy weight as a measure of nutriture, weight gain during pregnancy, and outcome of pregnancy as measured by infant birth weight were examined. Clinic records of 99 subjects were examined for the following: (1) prepregnancy weight, (2) total weight gain during pregnancy, (3) maternal age at birth, (4) gravida, (5) parity, (6) ethnicity, and (7) infant birth weight. Control and experimental groups were determined based upon whether a subject received nutrition counseling during the course of pregnancy. Three factors were correlated: prepregnancy weight, total weight gain, and infant birth weight. Differences in total weight gain and infant birth weight between the control and experimental groups were analyzed to determine the effect of nutritional counseling. No statistically significant results were obtained. However, unexpected differences between ethnic groups were observed. Caucasians had the highest prepregnancy weight and infant birth weight in the ethnic groups studied. Blacks with a higher prepregnancy weight produced infants with a higher birth weight. For Hispanics, the average prepregnancy weight and total weight gain was lower than for Caucasians; however, the average infant birth weight was the same. Extremely low inadequate weight gain and infant birth weight figures were not observed in this low income population.

Comments

Bibliography: pages [32]-33.

Extent

v, 33 pages

Language

eng

Publisher

Northern Illinois University

Rights Statement

In Copyright

Rights Statement 2

NIU theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from Huskie Commons for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without the written permission of the authors.

Media Type

Text

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