Biomedical subjects

J F DeJoseph

Publications and source records attributed to J F DeJoseph.

17 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed1999

Characteristics of nurse-midwife patients and visits, 1991.

OBJECTIVES: This study describes the patient populations served by and visits made to certified nurse-midwives (CNMs) in the United States. METHODS: Prospective data on 16,729 visits were collected from 369 CNMs randomly selected from a 1991 population survey. Population estimates were derived from a multistage survey design with probability sampling. RESULTS: We estimated that approximately 5.4 million visits were made to nearly 3000 CNMs nationwide in 1991. Most visits involved maternity care, although fully 20% were for care outside the maternity cycle. Patients considered vulnerable to poor access or outcomes made 7 of every 10 visits. CONCLUSIONS: Nurse-midwives substantially contribute to the health care of women nationwide, especially for vulnerable populations.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1998

Biomedical and feminist perspectives on low back pain during pregnancy.

Low back pain (LBP) is a common symptom seen by nurses who provide care for people with orthopedic problems. Many women experience their first episodes of LBP during pregnancy. Two perspectives for exploring LBP, biomedical and feminist, are described in this article. A combination of these perspectives might best serve women. Also, examples from a research project that used both perspectives is provided.

Attitude to Health↗

PubMed1996

A randomized trial of an empirically-derived social support intervention to prevent low birthweight among African American women.

Previous clinical trials of social support interventions to reduce low birthweight (LBW) have not fully capitalized on findings from social science research, and therefore have not used empirically-derived criteria to define a low social support population or to develop the intervention. To overcome limitations of previous studies, this randomized clinical trial tested the hypothesis that an empirically-derived social support intervention would reduce LBW among African American women. Based on prior work, African American women were identified as at-risk for LBW due to inadequate social support if they lacked support from their mothers or male partners. Focus groups were used in this study to develop a culturally-relevant intervention. Adult low-income African American pregnant women (n = 319) were tested for inadequate social support in mid-pregnancy. Of these, 114 (36%) low-support women were identified and randomly assigned to the intervention group (n = 56) or control group (n = 58). The intervention was designed to provide the support usually provided by the pregnant woman's mother or male partner. It consisted of four standardized face-to-face sessions at two week intervals and telephone contact in the intervening weeks. Birthweight was obtained blinded from charts or birth certificates, with 99% follow-up. The rate of LBW (below 2500 grams) was 9.1% in the intervention group compared to 22.4% in the control group (P < 0.05). Contrary to previous studies, this social support intervention was effective in reducing the rate of LBW. It is promising that this intervention was successful for African Americans because the rate of LBW is twice as high among African Americans than among Caucasians.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1993

Predictors of partner relationships during pregnancy and infancy.

The partner relationship of 153 women hospitalized for a high-risk pregnancy, 75 of their partners, 218 women who experienced a low-risk pregnancy and 147 of their partners was studied to determine risk-status or gender differences at pregnancy, the postpartal hospitalization, 1, 4, and 8 months following birth. A theoretical causal model predicting partner relationships was tested, followed by model respecification to derive the best explanatory model for each group. No differences were observed between low- and high-risk mothers' partner relationship; however, high-risk fathers scored lower than low-risk fathers. Partner relationships for all groups were significantly higher during pregnancy and at birth than at 4 and 8 months after birth. Respecified models explained from 26% to 63% of the variance in partner relationship during pregnancy, and from 31% to 52% at 8 months after birth.

Adult↗

PubMed1993

Redefining women's work during pregnancy: toward a more comprehensive approach.

The potential effects of work and activity on the processes and outcomes of pregnancy should be assessed when a woman's care plan is developed. Perinatal caregivers are limited by a narrow definition of work that encompasses only employment. This commentary expands the description of women's work during pregnancy, and proposes the addition of some activities not currently considered in most prenatal assessments, including home care responsibilities, the maintenance and development of intimate relationships, and the tasks identified with becoming a mother. All this has implications for research, clinical practice, and public and health policy.

Employment↗

PubMed1992

Sleep disturbances, vitality, and fatigue among a select group of employed childbearing women.

Self-reported sleep disturbances and levels of vitality and fatigue were studied in a secondary analysis of 25 pregnant and 29 postpartum employed women. Results indicate that pregnant women have problems initiating and maintaining sleep, and postpartum women have problems maintaining sleep, but not falling asleep. The primary reason for midsleep awakenings was urinary frequency among the pregnant women, and child care responsibilities among the postpartum women. Chronic sleep disturbance was indicated by a greater percentage of postpartum women who fell asleep easily, very few who felt highly energetic at work, and most who perceived a high level of fatigue during the past week. Even with these sleep disruptions, no differences occurred in the mean scores for perception of fatigue and vitality between the two groups. Clinicians can use these findings to educate women about some changes they may anticipate and how they might manage them during pregnancy and postpartum.

Fatigue↗

PubMed1991