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Dissertation
Maternal-fetal attachment, temporal orientation and locus of control: implications for prenatal care behaviors and HIV risk reduction during pregnancy
Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Drexel University
Apr 2010
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17918/etd-3286
Abstract
Pregnancy presents an important time in a woman's life for added HIV prevention behaviors as HIV exposure during pregnancy could lead to delivery of an infected infant. Unfortunately, pregnancy is generally regarded as a time when HIV preventative behaviors, specifically condom use, decrease as most women report using condoms specifically for pregnancy prevention. Maternal fetal attachment (MFA), a characteristic which describes the relationship between a pregnant woman and her developing fetus has been shown to be positively related to health promotion behaviors during pregnancy. Similarly, temporal orientation and health related locus of control (LOC) have also been shown to increase HIV preventative behaviors, although these have never previously been tested in pregnant women. One hundred low-income, minority women (81% Non-Hispanic Black) were recruited from the waiting room of an urban prenatal care clinic in order to test the hypotheses that higher levels of the aforementioned variables are associated with better adherence to prenatal care behaviors and HIV prevention behaviors as measured by condom use during pregnancy. Findings revealed that while MFA had a significant moderating effect on the relationships between LOC and prenatal health behaviors and temporal orientation and prenatal health behaviors, respectively, the same conclusions could not be drawn between these variables and HIV prevention behaviors as measured by condom use during pregnancy. It should be noted that while the majority of the women in the study discontinued condom use once pregnancy was confirmed they reported engaging in other HIV preventative behaviors including decreasing the number of sexual partners and frequency of sexual contact during pregnancy. Clinical implications and directions for future research to clarify some of these findings are discussed.
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Details
- Title
- Maternal-fetal attachment, temporal orientation and locus of control
- Creators
- Sara V. Levine Kornfield - DU
- Contributors
- Pamela A. Geller (Advisor) - Drexel University (1970-)
- Awarding Institution
- Drexel University
- Degree Awarded
- Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)
- Publisher
- Drexel University; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Resource Type
- Dissertation
- Language
- English
- Academic Unit
- Psychological and Brain Sciences (Psychology); College of Arts and Sciences; Drexel University
- Other Identifier
- 3286; 991014632530404721