Perceived and received support: effects on health behavior during pregnancy

The effects of several measures of social support on three health behavior practices during pregnancy--abstinence from alcohol, cigarettes, and caffeine--were explored. Both specificity of support and the distinction between perceived and received support were examined. The sample consisted of 529 p...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inNursing research (New York) Vol. 38; no. 1; p. 4
Main Author Aaronson, L S
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published United States 01.01.1989
Subjects
Adult
Alcohol Drinking
Caffeine
Female
Health Behavior
Humans
Interviews as Topic
Nursing Research
Perception
Pregnancy - psychology
Smoking
Social Environment
Social Support
Surveys and Questionnaires
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Summary:The effects of several measures of social support on three health behavior practices during pregnancy--abstinence from alcohol, cigarettes, and caffeine--were explored. Both specificity of support and the distinction between perceived and received support were examined. The sample consisted of 529 pregnant women who completed written questionnaires and telephone interviews. Analyses showed that specific perceived and received support were significant and largely independent predictors of all three behaviors. General social support, however, was not a significant predictor of any of the behaviors. Although others have found perceived support rather than received support to be the critical component of social support in its stress-buffering effects on health, this study offers evidence that received support is also important for facilitating positive health behaviors.
ISSN:0029-6562
DOI:10.1097/00006199-198901000-00002