Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Validity And Reliability Of The Antepartum Gastrointestinal Symptom Assessment Instrument, Lisa Hanson, Leona Vandevusse, Mauricio Garnier-Villarreal, Donna O. Mccarthy, Teresa Jerofke-Owen, Emily Malloy, Heidi Paquette

College of Nursing Faculty Research and Publications

Objective

To examine the psychometric properties of the nine-item Antepartum Gastrointestinal Symptom Assessment (AP-GI-SA) instrument.

Design

Single-group prospective design.

Setting

Urban prenatal clinic serving a diverse population.

Participants

Convenience sample of 45 pregnant women.

Methods

Participants completed the AP-GI-SA before a scheduled prenatal care appointment. We used Bayesian structural equation modeling to evaluate the construct validity of the scale and assessed known-groups validity. We assessed reliability through maximal reliability coefficient estimate and measured internal consistency with Cronbach’s alpha coefficient.

Results

Participants completed the instrument in 2 minutes or less. Construct validity was supported by confirmatory factor analysis (posterior predictive p …

“I Am A Runner”: A Qualitative Analysis Of Women-Runners’ Pregnancy Experiences, Jennifer M. Ohlendorf, Anna L. Anklam, Lindsay Gardner

College of Nursing Faculty Research and Publications

Background

Women runners are a group with potential for health maintenance and health promotion in pregnancy. When providers counsel women to discontinue or cut back on running without cause, an opportunity for health benefits to both woman and baby may be lost.

Aim

This study aims to explicate the experience women runners have in pregnancy to further providers’ understanding of this population’s unique needs.

Methods

An online, qualitative inquiry was employed to explore the experiences of an online community of women runners in pregnancy (N = 22). The Doing Pregnancy framework provided guidance for final stages of the analysis.

Findings …

Influence Of Contraception Use On The Reproductive Health Of Adolescents And Young Adults, Richard Fehring, Thomas Bouchard, Maria Meyers

College of Nursing Faculty Research and Publications

Oral contraceptives (OCs) are often prescribed to adolescents and young adults for the treatment of health problems and to avoid unwanted pregnancies. We hypothesized that the use of OCs, among adolescents and young adults, is associated with a greater likelihood of pregnancy, abortion, sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), and sexual behaviors that will enhance those problems (i.e., earlier sexual debut and more sexual partners) than adolescents and young adults not using OCs. To test this hypothesis, data from 1,365 adolescents and young adults in the 2011–2013 National Survey of Family Growth (NSFG) were used to describe the …

Interleukin-1 Receptor Antagonist Polymorphism And Birth Timing: Pathway Analysis Among African American Women, Shannon L. Gillespie, Jeremy L. Neal, Lisa Christian, Laura A. Szalacha, Donna O. Mccarthy, Pamela J. Salsberry

College of Nursing Faculty Research and Publications

Background: Timing of birth is a major determinant of newborn health. African American women are at increased risk for early birth, particularly via the inflammatory pathway. Variants of the IL1RN gene, which encode the interleukin-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1Ra) protein, are implicated in early birth. The biological pathways linking these variables remain unclear. Evidence also suggests that inflammatory pathways differ by race; however, studies among African American women are lacking.

Objectives: We assessed whether an IL1RN variant was associated with timing of birth among African American women and whether this relationship was mediated by lower anti-inflammatory IL-1Ra production or …

Feasibility Of Oral Prenatal Probiotics Against Maternal Group B Streptococcus Vaginal And Rectal Colonization, Lisa Hanson, Leona Vandevusse, Megan Duster, Simone Warrack, Nasia Safdar

College of Nursing Faculty Research and Publications

Objective

To examine the effect of an oral prenatal probiotic on group B Streptococcus (GBS) colonization and to demonstrate the feasibility of a larger randomized controlled trial.

Design

This pilot study was an open‐label, two‐group quasi‐experiment.

Setting

An urban central city nurse‐midwifery and wellness center serving a diverse population.

Participants

Ten pregnant participants received the oral probiotic (Florajen3) taken once daily, and 10 participants served as controls.

Methods

A questionnaire on dietary practices, vaginal cleansing, sexual history, and symptoms and GBS colony count samples were taken at 28‐, 32‐, and 36‐weeks gestation.

Results

Participants in the probiotic group reported no …

Efficacy Of Achieving Pregnancy With Fertility-Focused Intercourse, Qiyan Mu, Richard Fehring

College of Nursing Faculty Research and Publications

Purpose:

To compare pregnancy rates when women have intercourse on self-estimated high and peak fertile days and when they only have intercourse on low fertile days during the fertile window (FW).

Study Design and Methods:

We used a prospective observational cohort study design. Our convenience sample included 124 women who utilized our online charting Web sites to achieve pregnancy from January 2010 to November 2012. Participants used an electronic hormonal fertility monitor (EHFM) or self-observed cervical mucus or both to determine fertility during the estimated FW. Pregnancy rates were determined with Kaplan–Meier survival analysis. Chi square analysis was used to …

Perinatal Outcomes Of Prenatal Probiotic And Prebiotic Administration: An Integrative Review, Leona Vandevusse, Lisa Hanson, Nasia Safdar

College of Nursing Faculty Research and Publications

The purpose of this integrative review was to identify, critique, and synthesize the maternal and neonatal evidence on the prenatal use of probiotics and prebiotics to inform perinatal health professionals. A comprehensive literature search resulted in 37 studies of prenatal probiotics and 1 on antepartal prebiotics published from 1990 through 2011 that reported maternal, fetal, and/or neonatal outcomes. The methodologic quality of the studies reviewed was high, although investigators used different probiotic combinations and inconsistently reported perinatal clinical outcomes. The extraction of perinatal outcome variables resulted in identification of 9 maternal and 5 neonatal categories. Prenatal probiotics significantly reduced the …

Immune Dysregulation And Glucocorticoid Resistance In Minority And Low Income Pregnant Women, Elizabeth J. Corwin, Ying Guo, Kathleen Pajer, Nancy Lowe, Donna O. Mccarthy, Sarah Schmiege, Mary Weber, Thaddeus Pace, Brian Stafford

College of Nursing Faculty Research and Publications

Chronic prenatal stress contributes to poor birth outcomes for women and infants. Importantly, poor birth outcomes are most common among minority and low income women. To investigate underlying mechanisms, we tested the hypothesis that chronic stress related to minority or low income status is associated with glucocorticoid resistance as indicated by disruption in the cytokine-glucocorticoid feedback circuit. Home visits were conducted during which 3rd trimester pregnant women completed stress and depression surveys and provided blood for pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines. Saliva was collected 5 times the preceding day for diurnal cortisol levels. For statistical analyses, women were grouped 3 ways, …

A Critical Appraisal Of Guidelines For Antenatal Care: Components Of Care And Priorities In Prenatal Education, Lisa Hanson, Leona Vandevusse, Joyce Roberts, Amanda Forristal

College of Nursing Faculty Research and Publications

There are a variety of published prenatal care (PNC) guidelines that claim a scientific basis for the information included. Four sets of PNC guidelines published between 2005 and 2009 were examined and critiqued. The recommendations for assessment procedures, laboratory testing, and education/counseling topics were analyzed within and between these guidelines. The PNC components were synthesized to provide an organized, comprehensive appendix that can guide providers of antepartum care. The appendix may be used to locate which guidelines addressed which topics to assist practitioners to identify evidence sources. The suggested timing for introducing and reinforcing specific topics is also presented in …

Basal Body Temperature Assessment: Is It Useful To Couples Seeking Pregnancy?, Mary Lee Barron, Richard Fehring

College of Nursing Faculty Research and Publications

Advanced practice nurses in primary care settings are often asked to give appropriate advice to couples seeking pregnancy. This article examines the issue of basal body temperature (BBT), a time-honored way to establish the presence of ovulatory cycles, and asks if BBT is an outdated recommendation. The article also reviews the benefits and limitations of recommending BBT to couples seeking pregnancy in light of recent fecundity research.