Childbirth Problems, Emotional Stress, Health Care Acceptability, Health Problems in Pregnancy, Health Risk Behaviors, Maternal Care Patterns, Parent-Child Relations, Quality of Life
Conditions
Keywords
Incarcerated Women, Prison
Brief summary
The number of women who are incarcerated in the U.S. has increased dramatically over the past 20 years-over 750%, or from 13,258 in 1980 to 111,616 in 2016. Arkansas incarcerates 92 women per 100,000 population compared to 57 per 100,000 average across all states, ranking the state as the 8th highest in the nation. Over 75% of incarcerated women are of childbearing age and about 4% are pregnant upon intake. However, little is known about the population of women who have become incarcerated while pregnant in Arkansas - including the outcomes of these women and their children and how these outcomes may vary in relation to services that are received during incarceration. This research study aims to first expand knowledge on incarcerated women in Arkansas by using administrative data to retrospectively examine the health status and outcomes of pregnant women who were incarcerated in state prison by Arkansas from June 1, 2014 to May 31, 2019 (a five-year cohort; Aim 1). Then, we will lay the groundwork for and subsequently analyze data on outcomes and perspectives of women who have been incarcerated in Arkansas while pregnant (Aims 2 and 3). We will also seek to understand the feasibility and acceptability of elements of an enhanced support program for incarcerated pregnant women recently launched via a collaboration between Arkansas Department of Corrections and UAMS.
Interventions
BEHAVIORALChildbirth support
There are 5 program components that women may receive as a part of childbirth support: Prenatal education - consists of up to 8 sessions of education on pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum health and wellness. Support group - semi-structured group which provides time for women to process their pregnancy and postpartum-related experiences with other women facing similar challenges. Integrates mindfulness exercises, cognitive-behavioral skills, and special topics as requested by group members. Lactation program - program for women who wish to provide breastmilk for infants from which they are separated. Doula support program - 2 prenatal and 2 postnatal individual visits with a doula who will also provide continuous childbirth support and support during separation from infants. Parenting classes - group classes focused on helping women learn parenting skills and (if applicable) meet state requirements for reunification with children
Sponsors
National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS)
University of Arkansas
Study design
Observational model
OTHER
Time perspective
PROSPECTIVE
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
FEMALE
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
* Women incarcerated in Arkansas state prison system * 18 years or older * Able to give informed consent * Pregnant or has given birth in past year
Exclusion criteria
* Under 18 years of age
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Program Utilization | Up to 12 months after delivery | % of eligible women who choose to enroll in each program component |
| Program Acceptability | Up to 12 months after delivery | Self-report ratings of the acceptability of each program component |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Drug Use | Up to 12 months after delivery | Binary self-report for common classes of drugs |
| Health-Related Quality of Life | Up to 12 months after delivery | Self-report scores on Quality of Life Scale (QOLS) |
| Social Support | Up to 12 months after delivery | Self-report scores on Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support |
| Depressive Symptoms | Up to 12 months after delivery | Self-report scores on Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) |
| Parental Sense of Competence | Up to 12 months after delivery | Self-report scores on the Parenting Sense of Competence Scale |
| Pregnancy Complications | From the date of enrollment until the date of childbirth or the date of pregnancy loss or termination, whichever came first, assessed up to 50 weeks | Chart review to determine presence/absence of common pregnancy complications |
| Childbirth Complications | Up to 12 months after delivery | Chart review to determine presence/absence of common pregnancy complications |
| Parental Stress | Up to 12 months after delivery | Self-report scores on the Parenting Stress Index |
| PTSD Symptoms | Up to 12 months after delivery | Self-report scores on PTSD Checklist (PCL-5) |
Countries
United States
Outcome results
None listed