Preventive care-seeking among inner-city African American pregnant women

Objective: To describe the demographic, psychosocial, and situational chara cteristics of low-income, inner-city, African American pregnant women and t heir participation in a comprehensive low-birthweight (LBW) prevention prog ram, Methods: Data (n = 945) were obtained from structured interviews, acti vity logs, and vital statistics, Results: Many participants' circumstances were economically and psychosocially stressful. The majority of activities participated in required effort. Stressful circumstances did not affect wom en's participation levels in either effort acts or traditional prenatal car e health education. Conclusions: (a) Inner-city, poor women living in stres sful circumstances will participate in LBW-prevention programs; (b) traditi onal LBW-preventive education can be linked with addressing pregnant women' s psychosocial needs.