What Are The Relationships Among Cumulative Trauma, Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, Sleep Quality, And Perinatal Outcomes In African American Women?

WHAT ARE THE RELATIONSHIPS AMONG CUMULATIVE TRAUMA,POSTTRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER, SLEEP QUALITY, AND PERINATALOUTCOMES IN AFRICAN AMERICAN WOMEN?byNANCY J. HAUFFMay 2015Advisor: Judith Fry-McComish, PhD, RN, IMH-IV, E, FAANMajor: NursingDegree: Doctor of PhilosophyTrauma, primarily in the form of intimate partner violence and automobileaccidents, accounts for 6-8% of all pregnancy complications. Much less is known aboutcumulative trauma (CT) exposure, especially in African American women. Womenexposed to several types of trauma including childhood abuse, discrimination, orwitnessed family violence may develop symptoms of posttraumatic stress or have difficulty sleeping.The purpose of this study was to examine relationships among cumulativetrauma, posttraumatic stress, sleep, and perinatal outcomes. A sample of 150 healthy African-American women, who had recently given birth, were recruited at HutzelWomen’s Hospital and St. John Providence Hospital Southfield, and asked to completethe Cumulative Trauma Scale, Community Safety Questionnaire, Conflict Tactics Scale,Clinician-administered PTSD Scale, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, EdinburghDepression Inventory, and Demographic Data Form. The prenatal and hospital medicalrecords were reviewed for multiple maternal and neonatal outcomes. Regression