Early Motherhood Experiences in a Nicaraguan Society An Analysis of Stress and Support

Date of Award

2004

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelors

Department

Social Sciences

First Advisor

Barton, Michelle

Keywords

Nicaragua, Postpartum, Stress

Area of Concentration

Psychology

Abstract

Motherhood is a critical transition for women in terms of work and the constant presence of novel situations. Various researchers have found that mothers consistently report feelings of stress and anxiety during this time period, but that social support helps to alleviate increased stress levels of mothers within this time. The aims of this study were to explore the relationships between perceptions of pregnancy and maternity, emotions, and support networks of first-year postpartum women from a Nicaraguan society. Data were collected by means of written surveys and interviews incorporating the Perceived Stress Scale (Cohen, Marmack, & Mermelstein, 1983). Results show that, on average, pregnancy yielded more negative-type responses while maternity more positive-type. Overall, participants' stress levels fell within mid-range; and demographic variables did not significantly correlate with perceived stress levels. However, there was a ceiling effect of participants reporting daily help and support. Sources of stress and social support networks of participants are discussed. Since there is no known published research that has investigated these patterns among Nicaraguan women, future research extended to Latin America can benefit from the observations of this study.

Rights

This bibliographic record is available under the Creative Commons CC0 public domain dedication. The New College of Florida, as creator of this bibliographic record, has waived all rights to it worldwide under copyright law, including all related and neighboring rights, to the extent allowed by law.

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