To identify predictors of infant-care behaviours among immigrants, women were recruited on hospital postpartum units. Among the 3,484 women screened, 11.8 percent were eligible for enrollment and 77.3 percent agreed to participate. The follow-up rate was 94 per cent. Data on predictor variables were collected during face-to-face interviews in the early postpartum period. Follow-up telephone interviews occurred at three months postpartum to assess infant-care behaviours. / Using a chunkwise, hierarchial approach to multiple linear regression modelling, maternal and infant predictors accounted for 24.2 percent of the variance in the 'Infant-care Behaviours' Score. In the second stage of model building, ethnocultural variables explained an additional 5.8 percent of the variance. / Separate analyses for women who had lived in Canada less than three years versus three or more years yielded some differences in predictors for women in the two strata. Among recent immigrants; worries about the infant's health, mother's education, and current immigration status by parity were significant predictors, explaining 23 percent of the variance. Among less recent immigrants; worries about the baby's health, prenatal class attendance, marital status, and official language comprehension ability explained 37.7 percent of the variance. / To establish effectiveness of the hospital liaison referral process, data from the predictors' study were linked with records of public health postpartum follow-up. Sensitivity of the hospital liaison referral process was less than 55 percent. / Study findings provide direction for strengthening the postpartum referral process for ethnically diverse immigrants. The significant predictor variables are readily identified by the hospital staff of postpartum units. Results illustrate the importance of assessing theory-based ethnocultural characteristics among immigrants to determine their 'at-risk' status.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:LACETR/oai:collectionscanada.gc.ca:QMM.28730 |
| Date | January 1995 |
| Creators | Edwards, Nancy C. |
| Contributors | Boivin, Jean Francois (advisor) |
| Publisher | McGill University |
| Source Sets | Library and Archives Canada ETDs Repository / Centre d'archives des thèses électroniques de Bibliothèque et Archives Canada |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Coverage | Doctor of Philosophy (Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics.) |
| Rights | All items in eScholarship@McGill are protected by copyright with all rights reserved unless otherwise indicated. |
| Relation | alephsysno: 001453368, proquestno: NN05697, Theses scanned by UMI/ProQuest. |
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