USE OF PUBLIC-HEALTH NURSING SERVICES - RELATIONSHIP TO ADEQUACY OF PRENATAL-CARE AND INFANT OUTCOME

Timing of initial public health nurse contact and number of nurse cont acts were examined for their relationship to adequacy of prenatal phys ician care, infant birthweight, and gestational age. Three historical cohort groups were drawn from three downstate Illinois counties: 1) pu blic health nursing clients (N = 506); 2) Women, Infant, and Children Nutrition Program clients (N = 314); and 3) clients receiving neither of these services (N = 403). Data were obtained from local health depa rtment records and a state birth certificate data tape. Descriptive st atistics and logistic and multiple regression were used to analyze dat a. Timing of initial public health nursing contact was significantly c orrelated to adequacy of prenatal physician contact and infant gestati onal age. No relationship was found between either timing of initial p ublic health nursing contact or number of these contacts and infant bi rthweight. The number of public health nursing and physician contacts exerted an additive effect on birthweight and gestational age. Finding s lend support for case-finding activities that result in public healt h nursing contacts early in pregnancy. The importance of multidiscipli nary approaches to prenatal care is suggested.