A brief survey to identify pregnant women experiencing increased psychosocial and socioeconomic risk

Publication date: Available online 5 September 2018

Source: Women and Birth

Author(s): Anna Price, Hannah Bryson, Fiona Mensah, Lynn Kemp, Charlene Smith, Francesca Orsini, Harriet Hiscock, Lisa Gold, Ashlee Smith, Lara Bishop, Sharon Goldfeld

Abstract

Problem

Identifying pregnant women whose children are at risk of poorer development in a rapid, acceptable and feasible way.

Background

A range of antenatal psychosocial and socioeconomic risk factors adversely impact children's health, behaviour and cognition.

Aim

Investigate whether a brief, waiting room survey of risk factors identifies women experiencing increased antenatal psychosocial and socioeconomic risk when asked in a private, in-home interview.

Methods

Brief 10-item survey (including age, social support, health, smoking, stress/anxious mood, education, household income, employment) collected from pregnant women attending 10 Australian public birthing hospitals, used to determine eligibility (at least 2 adverse items) for the "right@home" trial. 735 eligible women completed a private, in-home interview (including mental health, wellbeing, substance use, domestic violence, housing problems). Regression models tested for dose-response trends between the survey risk factor count and interview measures.

Findings

38%, 31%, 15% and 16% of women reported a survey count of 2, 3, 4 and 5 or more adverse risk factors, respectively. Dose-response relationships were evident between the survey count and interview measures, e.g. of women with a survey count of 2, 8% reported ever having a drug problem, 4% experienced domestic violence in the last year and 10% experienced housing problems, contrasting with 31%, 31% and 26%, respectively, for women reporting a survey count of 5 or more.

Discussion/Conclusions

A brief, waiting room survey of psychosocial and socioeconomic risk factors concurs with a private antenatal risk factor interview, and could help health professionals quickly identify which women would benefit from more support.

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