Abstract

Purpose. The study examined the correlation of maternal occupation, urinary tract infection, smoking, and working during pregnancy with infant birth weight and gestational age in order to generate baseline data for development of a health education intervention program protocol for pregnant women In the work place.

Primary Hypotheses. (1) The four maternal risk factors: (a) occupation during lifetime, (b) reported urinary tract infection, (c) cigarette smoking, (d) working, are individually and interactively correlated with infant birth weight and gestational age. (2) The effects of the interactive associations are greater on birth weight than gestational age.

Procedure. A sample of 32,208 pregnant women was used from a computerized data base collected by the United States collaborative Perinatal Project during 1959-1965. Analysis of variance was performed to determine the relationship of the four primary factors with the two outcome variables before including covariates. The covariates were studied using correlation and regression analysis before including them as covariates. Analysis of covariance was performed on a final sample of 27,913 mothers to explore the covariate associations with the two outcome variables.

Findings. All main effects correlations and most covariate associations with the two outcome factors were statistically significant. Interaction of infection and occupation similarly affected both outcome variables. Occupation, work, and infection interacted and negatively impacted on birth weight of infants of mothers in three occupational categories. The magnitude of impact was the greatest on the infants of operators.

Conclusions. The four primary factors and the interactions among them were negatively correlated with birth weight and gestational age. The combined impact was greater on birth weight than on gestation. Two of the covariates (pre-pregnancy weight and pregnancy weight gain) were to develop a regression equation which predicts value for birth weight and gestational age. This needs further validation.

Recommendations. (1) Conduct a task analysis study to determine activities performed by women in the three suspect occupations. (2) Follow the task analysis by a correlational study replicating the interactions between: (a) smoking and work, (b) infection and occupation, (c) occupation, infection, and working.

Implication for Health Education. Using PRECEDE model, a health education protocol based on the relevant findings and literature review was developed for education of pregnant women in the work place.

School

School of Public Health

First Advisor

Ruth M. White

Second Advisor

Jerry W. Lee

Third Advisor

Grenith J. Zimmerman

Fourth Advisor

Elmar P. Sakala

Degree Name

Doctor of Public Health (DrPH)

Degree Level

Ph.D.

Year Degree Awarded

1986

Date (Title Page)

6-1986

Language

English

Library of Congress/MESH Subject Headings

Birth Weight; Gestational Age; Pregnancy

Type

Dissertation

Page Count

5 vii; 164

Digital Format

PDF

Digital Publisher

Loma Linda University Libraries

Usage Rights

This title appears here courtesy of the author, who has granted Loma Linda University a limited, non-exclusive right to make this publication available to the public. The author retains all other copyrights.

Collection

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Collection Website

http://scholarsrepository.llu.edu/etd/

Repository

Loma Linda University. Del E. Webb Memorial Library. University Archives

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