Validation of Edinburgh postnatal depression scale for adolescent mothers.

The Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale has widespread use internationally with adult women, but few psychometric properties have been described for samples of adolescent mothers. The purpose of this paper is to validate the psychometric properties of the EPDS in a sample of adolescent mothers (n = 149) in a southern, urban area of the United States. Internal consistency reliability was .88. Principal components analysis supported a two factor structure accounting for 60% of variance. Results of item response theory analysis suggest that the EPDS and the Center for Epidemiologic Studies of Depression Scale have similar psychometric properties. This data can be used to provide evidence of construct validity of the EPDS. The study provides a foundation for further psychometric testing of the instrument.

The Postpartum Support Questionnaire: psychometric properties in adolescents.

PROBLEM: Receiving adequate social support has been associated with positive outcomes for the postpartum adolescent and her baby. Therefore, social support is an important variable to include in research studies of postpartum adolescents. However, instruments developed for use in adults cannot be assumed to reliably and validly measure health-related concepts such as social support in adolescents (Rogler, 1999; Yarcheski, Mahon, & Yarcheski, 1992) without psychometric evaluation. PURPOSE: Therefore, the purpose of this study was to describe the reliability and validity of the Postpartum Support Questionnaire (PSQ) (Logsdon, 2002; Logsdon, Usui, Birkimer, McBride, 1996) with adolescents. METHOD: The PSQ was revised for use with adolescents, based upon focus groups with adolescents and professionals. Then, the PSQ was administered to a convenience sample of postpartum adolescents (N = 109) recruited from the Teenage Parent Program. FINDINGS: High internal consistency reliability was demonstrated for the total instrument and subscales. Factor analysis supported four factors, in line with the PSQ data with adults, with some indication for an additional adolescent factor. However, in adolescents material support and emotional support tend to load on the same factor. CONCLUSIONS: Social support may be defined differently in postpartum adolescents, but further research with a larger sample is needed to substantiate this finding. Instruments with psychometric data specific to adolescents should be chosen by researchers who study this group.

Family functioning, perceived control, and anxiety: a mediational model.

Research has focused on defining which types of family interactions promote development of anxiety. Control has emerged as an important construct in anxious families. Central to conceptualizing the relationship between family functioning, control beliefs, and anxiety is establishing a sequential relationship among these variable, which may entail mediating or moderating relationships, or relationships that change over the course of development. The current study investigated whether control acts as a moderator or a mediator between perceived family environment and anxiety in your adults. An undergraduate sample (N=364) completed the family assessment device (FAD), anxiety control questionnaire (ACQ), Beck anxiety inventory (BAI), and a demographic questionnaire. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to test both moderating and mediating models. No moderating effects were found. Sense of control mediated the relation between aspects of family functioning and anxiety. Theoretical implications and suggestions for future research are discussed.

Nursing telephonic case management and pregnancy outcomes of mothers and infants.

Limited success has been achieved in identifying high-risk pregnant women via prenatal risk identification tools. The purposes of this study were to examine a risk assessment and nursing telephonic case management protocol used to identify high-risk mothers and infants, and to evaluate the costs and benefits of the protocol. This study involved a retrospective review of insurance data held by a large managed care organization (MCO). Analyzed data included information about current and past medical problems, and current lifestyle risk factors. Data analysis included frequencies, chi2, t tests, and logistic regression analysis. Pregnant MCO members experienced fewer high-risk conditions versus nonmembers. The overall pregnancy cost for a member was 1,818 dollars versus 4,587 dollars for a nonmember. Members experienced 2.5 times fewer babies hospitalized in the NICU, and significantly fewer mothers with high-risk conditions. The MCO program reduces costs and promotes better maternal and infant outcomes.

High blood glutathione levels accompany excellent physical and mental health in women ages 60 to 103 years.

Earlier we found a high percentage of subnormal total glutathione (G(T)) levels in blood from elderly subjects and patients with chronic diseases. These findings suggested a hypothesis that high levels of G(T) in the blood occur in old persons who are in excellent physical and mental health. To this end, we recruited 87 white women who ranged in age from 60 to 103 years and reported that they felt healthy. Their health was verified with physical examinations, clinical chemistry profiles, psychosocial assessments, and blood G(T) determinations. This evaluation was performed in three waves over a 5-year period. The values were compared with those from representative individuals in this region and with normal national data. The results verified that these healthy subjects were in top physical and mental health. We also found that subjects of all ages had very high blood G(T) levels in waves I and II but only normal levels in wave III. These findings confirm that high blood G(T) concentrations and excellent physical and mental health are characteristics of long-lived women.