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Biomedical subjects

J S Norbeck

Publications and source records attributed to J S Norbeck.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1999

The personal experience of pregnancy for African-American women.

This study describes the personal experiences of pregnancy for African-American women. Data were obtained from two group interviews with four African-American nurse-midwives who had experienced pregnancy and had extensive professional experience in the provision of health care services to pregnant African Americans. Three major themes were constructed from the interview narratives. The first concerned the experience of pregnancy as a transition experience from childhood to adulthood and from womanhood to motherhood, involving heightened senses of maturity, self-esteem, and intimacy. The second identified stresses experienced by African-American women, including the lack of material resources and emotional support. The last theme concerned the provision of effective support in pregnancy. The significance of interpersonal relationships with the pregnant women's mothers, other significant women, and their partners was described. Implications for practice included suggestions for the provision of effective emotional support from health care professionals such as attentive listening and the elimination of environmental factors that communicate lowered personal value.

Adult↗
PubMed1996

A randomized trial of an empirically-derived social support intervention to prevent low birthweight among African American women.

Previous clinical trials of social support interventions to reduce low birthweight (LBW) have not fully capitalized on findings from social science research, and therefore have not used empirically-derived criteria to define a low social support population or to develop the intervention. To overcome limitations of previous studies, this randomized clinical trial tested the hypothesis that an empirically-derived social support intervention would reduce LBW among African American women. Based on prior work, African American women were identified as at-risk for LBW due to inadequate social support if they lacked support from their mothers or male partners. Focus groups were used in this study to develop a culturally-relevant intervention. Adult low-income African American pregnant women (n = 319) were tested for inadequate social support in mid-pregnancy. Of these, 114 (36%) low-support women were identified and randomly assigned to the intervention group (n = 56) or control group (n = 58). The intervention was designed to provide the support usually provided by the pregnant woman's mother or male partner. It consisted of four standardized face-to-face sessions at two week intervals and telephone contact in the intervening weeks. Birthweight was obtained blinded from charts or birth certificates, with 99% follow-up. The rate of LBW (below 2500 grams) was 9.1% in the intervention group compared to 22.4% in the control group (P < 0.05). Contrary to previous studies, this social support intervention was effective in reducing the rate of LBW. It is promising that this intervention was successful for African Americans because the rate of LBW is twice as high among African Americans than among Caucasians.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1989

Life stress, social support, and anxiety in mid- and late-pregnancy among low income women.

The stability and multivariate effects of life stress, social support, and anxiety from mid to late pregnancy in a sample of low-income women were examined. The sample of 190 was approximately equally divided among black, Hispanic, and white groups. Scores from the two time periods were highly consistent. The multivariate effects of life stress and social support on anxiety were similar at the two time periods, explaining 30% to 34% of the variance in anxiety, over and above the effects of ethnicity or marital status. The prospective test (Time 1 variables predicting Time 2 anxiety), however, explained only 22% of the variance in anxiety. Significant stress-buffering effects from social support were found for both the Time 1 regression and the prospective test. The combination of high life stress and low partner support was associated with the highest anxiety. The findings confirmed that mid-pregnancy measures of these psychosocial variables were valid indicators of their level over the course of the remainder of the pregnancy, allowing for early assessment and intervention to improve perinatal well-being.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1989

Role integration and health among female clerical workers.

The effects of role identity (occupancy and involvement), sex-role orientation, and role integration on perceived health status and psychological symptoms of women in multiple roles were examined. The sample was comprised of 87 female clerical workers who were mothers with one or more children living at home. The mean age was 37; 47% were married; 44% were black, 24% Caucasian, 15% Asian, and 17% Hispanic. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses were used to determine the significant predictors of perceived health status and psychological symptoms. Role involvement and role integration accounted for 24% of the variance in perceived health. Income and role integration accounted for 29% of the variance in psychological symptoms.

Adult↗
PubMed1989

Stress, satisfaction, and coping: a study of women clerical workers.

Increasing numbers of women in the work force have prompted researchers to study the health impact of their work satisfactions and stressors. In this study, we examined the quality of the work role as perceived by women who hold clerical jobs. Qualitative data were collected through structured interviews with 87 female clerical workers employed in four organizational settings. All were mothers with one or more children living at home. Work satisfaction, work stressors, coping strategies, and resources were discussed in the interviews. Categories were developed for each of these areas. The Ethnograph computer program was used after content analysis to code and retrieve the responses for each category.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed1988

International nursing research in social support: theoretical and methodological issues.

Social support has been widely studied within cultures as a variable that is protective of health and mental health, either directly or as a buffer against life stress. When research is conducted across cultures, several conceptual and methodological issues emerge. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the conceptual basis for assuming that social support is a universal phenomenon, to suggest areas in which manifestations of social support may be culture-specific, and to present methodological issues that need to be addressed in conducting valid international research on social support.

Cross-Cultural Comparison↗
PubMed1988

Social support.

Explore the source record for details and available documents.

Adult↗
PubMed1985

Perceived job stress, job satisfaction, and psychological symptoms in critical care nursing.

This study tested the relationships among perceived job stress, job satisfaction, and psychological symptoms of critical care nurses. A self-administered questionnaire was sent to a sample of 180 critical care nurses from eight hospitals. The results supported the hypotheses that higher levels of perceived job stress are related to lower levels of job satisfaction (r = -.24, p = .001) and to higher levels of psychological symptoms (r = .33, p = .000). These effects remained even when years of experience in nursing and shift were controlled. Item analysis, however, showed that four of the five top-ranking stressors were not related to the outcome measures. A distinction between positive and negative stressors is proposed to explain the pattern of results.

Affective Symptoms↗