Dimensions of Human Behavior: The Changing Life Course
SAGE Journal Articles
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Abstract: The concept of value of children (VOC) was introduced three decades ago and has recently gained increasing importance due to ongoing significant demographic changes in many parts of the world, namely declining birth rates and increasing life expectancy. Even though the concept of VOC suggests interdisciplinary and cross-cultural research, these methodologies were only recently used as part of a collaborative international enterprise aiming to revise and extend the original VOC study. The extended study is based on psychological and sociological approaches and makes use of more sophisticated methods of cross-cultural comparison and multilevel analyses. The thematic scope has also been expanded beyond childbearing to childrearing and also deals with parent-child relations over the entire lifespan. The present special section provides an overview of ongoing theoretical and methodological progress on the basis of four selected studies on VOC and intergenerational relations in different cultures.
Learning Objective: 2.2 Summarize some themes in the sociocultural context of conception, pregnancy, and childbirth
Journal Article 2.2: Louw, K. (2018). Substance use in pregnancy: The medical challenge. Obstetric Medicine. 11(2): 54-66.
Abstract: Substance use contributes significantly to the global burden of disease. Growing numbers of women use nicotine, alcohol, and illicit substances. Women are the most vulnerable to problematic substance use in their reproductive years. The first 1000 days of life, starting at conception, have been established as a critical window of time for long-term health and development. Substance use in pregnancy is associated with negative pregnancy and child health outcomes. The impact of antenatal substance use on these outcomes needs to be considered within a challenging and complex context. This review provides an overview of the current literature on the impact of substances on pregnancy and child outcomes as well as the evidence and guidelines on screening and interventions for women using substances during pregnancy.
Learning Objective: 2.7 Give examples of different circumstances under which people become parents.
Journal Article 2.3: Payne, N.A. & Anastas, J.W. (2014). The Mental Health Needs of Low-Income Pregnant Teens: A Nursing–Social Work Partnership in Care. Research on Social Work Practice. 25(5): 595 – 606.
Abstract: While the rates of teen childbearing have declined in the United States, adolescents who become pregnant and decide to bear and rear their babies are often from low-income, highly stressed families and communities. This article will describe the psychosocial problems of pregnant urban teens and how exposure to interpersonal trauma and current mental health problems may affect their prenatal health behavior, a vulnerable arena that has significance for infant development. It will discuss nurse home visiting as a preventive intervention with proven effectiveness in enhancing maternal prenatal health and behavior and the health and development of children born to mothers at risk, and how a nurse–family collaboration with social workers can facilitate this mission. By providing collaborative care that addresses psychosocial, health, and mental health concerns, interventions like home visiting can reach their full potential.
Learning Objective: 2.7 Give examples of different circumstances under which people become parents, 2.8 Give examples of risk factors and protective factors in conception, pregnancy, and childbirth, 2.9 Apply knowledge of conception, pregnancy, and childbirth to recommend guidelines for social work engagement, assessment, intervention, and evaluation.