ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To compare stressful events, including violent episodes, experienced by pregnant Salvadoran women with those experienced by two other groups of low-income, pregnant women living in the United States (non-Salvadoran Hispanics and non-Hispanics) and to examine the association between episodes of violence and drug or alcohol use among the three groups. DESIGN: Comparative, descriptive study. SETTING: Public health prenatal clinics. PARTICIPANTS: One hundred four Salvadoran, 69 non-Salvadoran Hispanic, and 187 non-Hispanic pregnant women. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Difficult Life Circumstances (DLC) scale and psychosocial history assessment. RESULTS: Statistically significant differences were found among the three groups in total DLC scores, F(2, 357) = 14.98, p < .001; reported episodes of violence, F(2, 357 = 17.82, p < .001; and drug or alcohol use, F(2, 357) = 6.33, p < .001. A significant difference was found to the extent that alcohol or drug use accounted for the variance in violence among the three groups, F(3, 360) = 6.28, p < .001. CONCLUSIONS: Cross-cultural comparisons revealed group differences in the number of stressful events, including episodes of violence and alcohol or drug use.
PIP: A comparative, descriptive study was conducted among 104 Salvadoran, 69 non-Salvadoran Hispanic, and 187 non-Hispanic pregnant women concerning the stressful events including episodes of violence experienced. Furthermore, it also compared the relationship between episodes of violence and drug or alcohol use among the three groups. The measures used are the Difficult Life Circumstances scale and psychosocial history assessment. Results showed that stressful events were found to occur more frequently among the non-Hispanic mothers than among either Hispanic subgroups. However, cultural distinctions between Salvadoran and non-Salvadoran Hispanic mothers did not emerge. Alcohol and drug use differed significantly among the groups in this study. In conclusion, cross-cultural comparisons revealed group differences in the number of stressful events, including episodes of violence and alcohol or drug use.
