BEHAVIORAL IMPLICATIONS OF SOME OLD WIVES TALES

  • 1 January 1978
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 51  (6) , 727-732
Abstract
The concerns, attitudes, beliefs and knowledge that women have about reproduction were studied to determine how these affect their health practices during pregnancy. A low-income multiethnic clinic population was studied in which the majority of the patients were in a high-risk category for pregnancy. They often failed to follow suggested regimens and/or engaged in negative health behaviors. Interviews with patients revealed that they identified a number of risk factors in pregnancy, but that were was a disparity between their perceived risks and those of concern to the clinic staff. Many of the problems ascribed to patient noncompliance may be attributable to this differential perception of what constitutes a dnager to pregnant women. In clinical settings where patients and professionals are divided by social class and cultural differences, physicians should be aware of such beliefs so that patients may be re-educated to improve pregnancy outcomes.

This publication has 2 references indexed in Scilit: