Abstract

The purpose of this descriptive study was to compare the prenatal help-seeking behaviors of two ethnic groups of rural women in a southeastern state. Three hypotheses guided the study: Ho^, There will be no relationship between selected demographic variables and help-seeking behaviors in Native Americans; HOg, There will be no relationship between selected demographic variables and help-seeking behaviors in Anglo women; and Ho^, There will be no difference in the factors predicting prenatal help- seeking behavior between Native Americans and Anglo women. This study replicated the work of Ide and Gill (1992). Leininger's Transcultural Nursing Theory was used as a theoretical framework. Two instruments were used to collect data. The Personal Characteristics Questionnaire was utilized to determine demographic variables, such as age, marital status, education level, geographic location, family composition, social support, and ethnicity. The second instrument, Weinert’s Personal Resource Questionnaire (PRQ- 85), assessed social support networks in relationship to help-seeking behaviors of the prenatal client. Data were analyzed using Multiple Regression Correlations to determine the factors that predict delayed help-seeking behavior while iv descriptive statistics were used to determine the areas of specific differences. Since no significance emerged, the researcher failed to reject the null hypotheses. Therefore, the researcher concluded that selected demographics did not significantly correlate to prenatal help-seeking behaviors when comparing Native American and Anglo women. The researcher concluded there was a need for advanced nursing roles in rural outlying clinics to improve access to care. Also, the importance of culturally sensitive nursing assessments could impact on the entry into early prenatal care. The development of educational programs for both clients and health care workers is another way to increase the early entry into prenatal care. Recommendations for future research include replication of the study with the use of different cultural groups using Leininger's Transcultural Nursing Theory and implementation of a study that explores the impact of outlying rural clinics managed by nurse practitioners to increase the entry into early prenatal care.

Degree

Master of Science in Nursing (MSN)

Department

Graduate Nursing

Degree Date

8-1-1994

Publication Number

27924565

First Advisor

Lynn Chilton

Second Advisor

Mary Patricia Curtis

Document Type

Thesis

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