USE OF COMPUTER INTERVIEW DATA TO TEST ASSOCIATIONS BETWEEN RISK-FACTORS AND PREGNANCY OUTCOMES

Computer interviews have been used in a variety of settings as a means of gathering data and providing health education information. The obj ective of this study was to determine whether data gathered from a com puter interview have predictive validity in determining pregnancy outc omes. Pregnant women (N = 190) completed a computer-assisted interview to provide risk factor information. Medical records were reviewed to obtain prenatal and birth outcome information. Twenty-nine percent exp erienced prenatal complications and nearly half experienced problems r elated to labor and delivery. After known risk factors were controlled for, self-reported psychosocial problems, low social support, and sub stance abuse by the father were associated with pregnancy complication s. An unbalanced diet and low social support were associated with lowe r infant birth weight. Findings suggest that data collected via comput er interviews can provide useful risk factor screening information. (C ) 1997 Academic Press.