Stress in the City: Influence of Urban Social Stress and Violence on Pregnancy and Postpartum Quality of Life among Adolescent and Young Mothers

Abstract

Adolescent and young mothers transitioning from pregnancy to postpartum need to maintain an optimal quality of life. Stress and exposure to violence (e.g., intimate partner violence (IPV), nonpartner violence) are predictors of poor quality of life for adult women; however, these associations remain understudied among adolescent and young mothers in urban areas. Guided by the social ecological model, the current study created a latent variable, urban social stress, to examine the impact of the urban social environment (i.e., stressful life events, discrimination, family stress, and neighborhood problems) on the quality of life of adolescent and young mothers during both pregnancy and postpartum. The current study is a secondary data analysis of a prospective cohort study of 296 expectant young mothers recruited at obstetrics and gynecology clinics. Results from structural equation and multigroup models found that higher urban social stress predicted lower mental and physical quality of life during pregnancy, but these associations were significantly stronger for IPV-exposed and nonpartner violence-exposed mothers. In the postpartum period, higher urban social stress predicted lower mental and physical quality of life, but these associations were significantly stronger for IPV-unexposed and nonpartner violence-exposed mothers. Stress reduction programs need to help adolescent and young mothers in urban areas develop stress management skills specific to urban social stress. Pregnancy and parenting programs need to be tailored to the specific needs of young mothers in urban areas by becoming sensitive to the role of IPV and nonpartner violence in these young women's lives.

<p>Perceived Stress and Associated Factors Among Pregnant Women Attending Antenatal Care in Urban Thailand</p>

“…Higher urban stress may be caused by many factors, such as complexity and crowding, pollution, family and social stress, occupational and economic strains, a less controllable environment, neighborhood problems, and disturbance of chronobiological rhythms. 17 There have been few studies on antenatal perceived stress, especially in urban areas. Thus, this study explored perceived stress symptoms among pregnant women living in an urban area.…”

“…Moreover, stress reduction programs are necessary to help pregnant women in urban areas develop stress management skills specific to urban social stress. 15,17 This study had several strengths, including large sample size, utilization of standard stress-screening tool (PSS), and interviews were conducted by a well-trained research assistant. However, this study was limited by a crosssectional design such that the relationship between variables could not be proven.…”

Psychosocial determinants of sustained maternal functional impairment: Longitudinal findings from a pregnancy-birth cohort study in rural Pakistan

“…The disability burden is well established in high-income countries and aging populations [8]. Studies in high-income countries found that low quality of life during the perinatal period increases risks for the fetus (pre-term birth), the infant (low birth weight and poor development outcomes), and maternal physical and mental health [9, 10]. However, little is known about fluctuations in function over time (e.g., functional trajectories), particularly throughout the perinatal period for women in low-income settings [11].…”

Factors Affecting Bereaved Spouses’ Quality of Life: A Systematic Review

“…세계보건기구에 의하면, 삶의 질은 자신이 살아가는 문 화와 가치 체계의 맥락에서는 물론 자신의 목표, 기대, 기 준, 관심과 관련하여 자신의 위치에 대한 주관적 인식으로 정의된다 (WHOQOL Group, 2008). 따라서 배우자의 사 별을 경험한 이들의 삶의 질에 영향하는 요인의 체계적 맥 락을 이해하기 위해서는 개인과 개인의 사회, 지역사회, 구조적 맥락과의 관계 및 복잡한 상호작용에 초점을 두고 개인의 행동과 발달 등은 이와 같은 다차원적 요인의 영향 을 받는다고 설명하는 사회생태학적 모델(Social Ecological Model)을 적용하는 것이 적합하다 (Stokols, 1996;Willie et al, 2016 2) 핵심 질문 체계적 문헌고찰의 기술 형식인 Participant-Intervention-Comparison-Outcome (PICO)에 맞추어 논문을 선 정하였다. Participant는 배우자와 사별한 자, Intervention 과 Comparison은 해당사항이 없으며, Outcome은 삶의 질로 설정하였다.…”