Publication year
2008
Citation Title
The relationship of military imposed marital separations on maternal acceptance of pregnancy.
Journal Name
Research in Nursing & Health
Journal Volume
31
Issue Number
3
Page Numbers
196-207
DOI
10.1002/nur.20248
Summary
Pregnant women eligible for care on military bases completed questionnaires about deployment, community support, and conflict related to acceptance of pregnancy at three time points during pregnancy. Community support and deployment had significant effects on acceptance of pregnancy.Parental presence and community support are important for pregnancy acceptance during deployment.
Key Findings
Women whose husband or partner were deployed reported a significant increase in the conflict associated with acceptance of pregnancy across all trimesters.
Women who received more emotional support from their community network had greater acceptance of their pregnancy in all trimesters.
In the third trimester, women who identified the source of emotional support as an on-base network had greater acceptance of pregnancy than women who identified their source of support as a off-base network.
Implications for Program Leaders
Create on-base support networks for women experiencing pregnancy, particularly for those whose husband or partner is deployed
Offer classes for healthcare professionals serving pregnant women affiliated with the military about emotional support and acceptance of pregnancy
Compile and offer available resources lists for pregnant women on military bases
Implications for Policy Makers
Encourage the development of on-base support networks for pregnant women of Service members
Continue to support programs that offer services to pregnant women of deployed Service members
Recommend that pregnant women be assessed for acceptance of pregnancy and self-esteem during Service members deployment
Methods
Participants were recruited during obstetrical orientation classes from September 2002 to April 2003.
The study included pregnant women between 18-35 years recieving prenatal care at one of four military treatment facilities that serve Air Force, Army, and Navy families.
Pregnant women were surveyed at their first pregnancy appointment, in the second trimester of pregnancy, and in the third trimester.
Participants
Four hundred twenty-one pregnant women eligible for care in the military medical system participated in this study.
The military branch of pregnant women included, 56% Non-Active Duty, 34% Air Force, 5% Army, 4% Navy, and 1% Other.
The majority of women were White (62%) or Latino/Latina (21%), and had an average age of 27 years (SD = 4.5 years).
Limitations
The sample was composed of primarily White women and may not be generalizable to women of other race/ethnicities.
Women were recruited from installations with a training emphasis; stress experienced by families on these bases may be different from that of other bases.
All data were self-report which may introduce biases.
Avenues for Future Research
Consider accounting for other variables that may be related to acceptance of pregnancy, such as length of deployment, length of relationship, and ethnicity
Examine other characteristics of support networks (e.g., size) in relation to acceptance of pregnancy
Explore Service members’ acceptance of pregnancy in addition to women’s perceptions
Focus
Multiple Branches
Target Population
Population Focus
Military Component
Abstract
The effect of military deployment and perceived availability and source of community support on women’s acceptance of pregnancy were examined in each trimester of pregnancy at four military bases. The sample was 503 primigravida or multigravida women eligible for care in the military medical system. Military deployment and community support had a statistically significant effect on pregnancy acceptance. Gravidas with deployed husbands had higher conflict for accepting pregnancy than gravidas without deployed spouses. Community support had a significant positive effect on pregnancy acceptance. Women perceiving support predominantly from off-base versus on-base communities had significantly higher conflict with acceptance of pregnancy. Findings point to improved maternal acceptance of pregnancy with paternal presence and community support in the event of military deployment.
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