Nicole E Mahrer1, Isabel F Ramos2, Christine Guardino3, Elysia Poggi Davis4, Sharon L Ramey5, Madeleine Shalowitz6, Christine Dunkel Schetter2. 1. University of California, Los Angeles, Department of Psychology, USA; University of La Verne, Psychology Department, USA. Electronic address: nmahrer@laverne.edu. 2. University of California, Los Angeles, Department of Psychology, USA. 3. Dickinson College, Department of Psychology, USA. 4. Univerisity of Denver, Neurodevelopmental Research Program, Department of Psychology, USA; University of California, Irvine, Departments of Psychiatry & Human Behavior, USA. 5. Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute, USA. 6. NorthShore University HealthSystem Research Institute, USA.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Pregnancy anxiety predicts adverse developmental outcomes in offspring from infancy through late childhood, but studies have not examined associations with outcomes in early childhood, nor clarified ethnic or cultural variations in these processes. AIMS: (1) To examine differences in pregnancy anxiety and related concerns between non-Hispanic White women, Latina women who prefer to speak in English, and Latinas who prefer Spanish; (2) To test prospective associations between pregnancy anxiety and child negative affect and moderation by ethnicity and language preference, used as a proxy for acculturation. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: This longitudinal study included 95 women (40 Non-Hispanic Whites, 31 Spanish-preference Latinas, and 24 English-preference Latinas). Language preference was provided at study entry. Pregnancy anxiety was assessed in the second and third trimesters of pregnancy with two standardized measures. Mothers reported child negative affect at age 4. RESULTS: Spanish-preference Latinas had significantly more pregnancy-related anxiety about their health and safety in childbirth and concerning the medical system compared to English-preference Latinas and non-Hispanic White women. Adjusting for covariates, pregnancy anxiety in the second trimester, though not the third trimester, predicted significantly higher child negative affect in the full sample. A significant moderation effect indicated that the association was strongest among the lower acculturated Latinas, i.e., those who preferred Spanish. CONCLUSION: These results document higher risk for offspring associated with pregnancy anxiety in the second trimester especially among less acculturated Latina women, and suggest the need for culturally-sensitive screening tools and interventions to improve outcomes for Latina mothers and their children.
BACKGROUND: Pregnancy anxiety predicts adverse developmental outcomes in offspring from infancy through late childhood, but studies have not examined associations with outcomes in early childhood, nor clarified ethnic or cultural variations in these processes. AIMS: (1) To examine differences in pregnancy anxiety and related concerns between non-Hispanic White women, Latina women who prefer to speak in English, and Latinas who prefer Spanish; (2) To test prospective associations between pregnancy anxiety and child negative affect and moderation by ethnicity and language preference, used as a proxy for acculturation. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: This longitudinal study included 95 women (40 Non-Hispanic Whites, 31 Spanish-preference Latinas, and 24 English-preference Latinas). Language preference was provided at study entry. Pregnancy anxiety was assessed in the second and third trimesters of pregnancy with two standardized measures. Mothers reported child negative affect at age 4. RESULTS: Spanish-preference Latinas had significantly more pregnancy-related anxiety about their health and safety in childbirth and concerning the medical system compared to English-preference Latinas and non-Hispanic White women. Adjusting for covariates, pregnancy anxiety in the second trimester, though not the third trimester, predicted significantly higher child negative affect in the full sample. A significant moderation effect indicated that the association was strongest among the lower acculturated Latinas, i.e., those who preferred Spanish. CONCLUSION: These results document higher risk for offspring associated with pregnancy anxiety in the second trimester especially among less acculturated Latina women, and suggest the need for culturally-sensitive screening tools and interventions to improve outcomes for Latina mothers and their children.
Authors: Elysia Poggi Davis; Laura M Glynn; Christine Dunkel Schetter; Calvin Hobel; Aleksandra Chicz-Demet; Curt A Sandman Journal: Dev Neurosci Date: 2005 Impact factor: 2.984
Authors: Anja C Huizink; Pascale G Robles de Medina; Eduard J H Mulder; Gerard H A Visser; Jan K Buitelaar Journal: J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry Date: 2002-09 Impact factor: 8.829
Authors: Sharon Landesman Ramey; Peter Schafer; Julia L DeClerque; Robin G Lanzi; Calvin Hobel; Madeleine Shalowitz; Vern Chinchilli; Tonse N K Raju Journal: Matern Child Health J Date: 2015-04
Authors: Hui Xing Lau; Michelle Zhi Ling Kee; Qai Ven Yap; Elizabeth Huiwen Tham; Yiong Huak Chan; Anne Eng Neo Goh; Oon Hoe Teoh; Johan Gunnar Eriksson; Keith M Godfrey; Peter D Gluckman; Yap Seng Chong; Jerry Kok Yen Chan; Hugo Van Bever; Bee Wah Lee; Lynette Pei-Chi Shek; Michael J Meaney; Evelyn Xiu Ling Loo Journal: Front Pediatr Date: 2022-03-30 Impact factor: 3.418