Offering Relationship Education (PREP) for Couples During Pregnancy : Self-Selection Patterns

• The aim of the study was to investigate patterns of self-selection into the Prevention and Relationship Education Program (PREP) as it was offered universally to expectant couples attending maternity services in a Swedish town. The baseline questionnaire was answered by 141 couples, of whom 63% later participated in PREP, and 37% served as a comparison group. The results showed that couples who chose to participate in PREP had a shorter relationship, were more often unmarried first-time parents, and reported lower levels of relationship adjustment. PREP participants also had higher scores of depressive symptoms and poorer self-rated health. It seems that expectant couples are interested in preventive relationship education and that couples with more risk factors for vulnerable relationships self-selected into PREP when the program was offered universally during pregnancy. The selection pattern into PREP has interesting implications for public health interventions and their dissemination.

Nyckelord

couple relationship

PREP

preventing marital distress

transition to parenthood

Publikations- och innehållstyp

ref (ämneskategori)

art (ämneskategori)