Social and Behavioral Sciences
Haiti Obstetrics and Perinatal Epidemiology (HOPE) Group
This research program explores sexual and reproductive health outcomes for young women and men in rural Haiti. The first project
assessed sexual risk behavior and health care utilization among 200 pregnant women recruited from five clinics. We assessed
sexual risk behavior (e.g., condom use, number of partners, STI history); psychosocial risks (e.g., condom attitudes, self–efficacy,
knowledge, peer norms); gender–power differences (e.g., relationship power, violence); health care utilization (e.g., use of traditional
medicine); and prenatal behaviors and outcomes (e.g., nutrition, exercise, prenatal distress, prenatal symptoms).
The second project assessed the sexual risk behavior of 100 expectant fathers, where we explored parallel issues of the young pregnant
women study: sexual risk behavior, psychosocial risks, gender–power differences, and health care utilization.
The third project looked at the influence of social capital on hypertension among Haitian women of reproductive age. We assessed
issues of social capital, including perceptions of community involvement and trust, on the prevalence of hypertension.
A fourth project considered clinical risk factors of negative reproductive heath outcomes including low birth weight, preterm
labor, and preeclampsia. Data analyses are ongoing.
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