Development of a questionnaire to measure perceived support during pregnancy and its relation to coping strategies and outcome

There is a considerable body of research examining the effects of social support factors, socioeconomic status (SES) and demographics on pregnancy outcome. However, there has been little research examining the effects of perceptions of social support on pregnancy outcome. The initial studies of this thesis examined the relation of scores on a Support in Pregnancy Questionnaire (SPQ) to pregnancy outcomes (n=68). It was found that the level of perceived support predicted lower infant birthweight and higher rates of obstetric complications (methodological issues of the complication measure are discussed). Furthermore, a small group of women who scored negatively on the questionnaire and received non-directive counselling were comparable to controls who had adequate levels of support. [Continues.]