Prenatal education for mothers with disabilities.

Prenatal nurse educators are well prepared to meet the learning needs of many expectant mothers. But how prepared are they to meet the learning needs of mothers with disabilities? To answer this question, eight mothers with various chronic illnesses located in north-eastern Ontario, Canada were asked to describe their maternity experiences. Given the small convenience sample and exploratory nature of the study, a qualitative content analysis was done. The mothers' reports described interaction with a variety of health professionals. This analysis focuses on findings specific to nurses who provide prenatal education. In general, mothers reported they had received insufficient, inappropriate information, especially about their pregnancy and chronic illnesses. The mothers thought that nurses doubted the ability of women with disabilities to be decision-makers or responsible and 'proper' mothers. Suggestions by disabled mothers for quality care in prenatal education are described. A more emancipatory approach to preparing nurses for practice as prenatal educators is recommended. Such an approach can reduce the barriers associated with power differences between women with disabilities as 'learners' and their nurse 'teachers'.

Tobacco use in northeastern Ontario teenagers: prevalence of use and associated factors.

Although health risks associated with the use of tobacco have been identified, little is known about tobacco use in Northeastern Ontario. Boys and girls aged 11 to 19 were located using a random telephone survey method. Of particular interest was the use of smokeless tobacco, since prevalence of use has increased in other Canadian locales. Respondents were assessed regarding demographic data, tobacco use, leisure interests and locus of control. Results indicated that current use of snuff and chewing tobacco is negligible in this population, although many teens (20.7%) are unaware of dangers associated with smokeless tobacco use. Cigarette smoking continues at a rate of 16.7%, even when dangers associated with smoking are known. Smoking was significantly associated with living in a two-parent household, teen employment and peer pressure.

Strategies for intervention and research with children or adolescents who have a parent with multiple sclerosis.

Parents with multiple sclerosis worry about effects their illness may have on their children. This stress can be a factor in exacerbating parental illness, yet little conclusive research exists about this population of children. In most instances their existence is not even recorded within the medical records of their parents. Children with chronically ill parents have been described by some as constrained, depressed and antisocial. In contrast, other authors, including this researcher, have concluded that these children are more empathetic and are advanced in friendship concept development compared to the general population. Implications for nursing research and nursing care are presented.