Table 3 Description of demographic and clinical variables at inclusion for the groups receiving the Newborn Behavioral Observation (NBO) and care as usual (n = 196)
Variable | NBO (n = 82) | Comparison group (n = 114) | Test statistic (t or χ2) | p-value | Effect size (Cohen’s D or Cramer’s V) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Mean age in years (SD)a | 31.00 (3.96) | 31.14 (4.46) | 0.23 | .82 | .033 |
Marital status, n (%) | |||||
 Married or cohabiting | 81 (98.8) | 109 (95.6) | 1.61 | .20 | .233 |
Education, n (%)a | Â | Â | 4.84 | .08 | .701 |
 Upper secondary school or less | 12 (14.6) | 10 (8.8) |  |  |  |
  < 4 years higher education | 29 (35.4) | 29 (25.4) |  |  |  |
  ≥ 4 years higher education | 41 (50.0) | 74 (64.9) |  |  |  |
Work status before pregnancya | Â | Â | 5.04 | .41 | Â |
 Full-time | 70 (85.4) | 99 (86.8) |  |  |  |
 Part-time | 3 (3.7) | 0 |  |  |  |
 Student | 7 (8.5) | 10 (8.8) |  |  |  |
 Homemaker | 0 | 1 (0.9) |  |  |  |
 Unemployed | 1 (1.2) | 1 (0.9) |  |  |  |
 Sick leave or disability benefits | 1 (1.2) | 2 (1.8) |  |  |  |
Family income, n (%)b | Â | Â | 2.32 | .31 | Â |
  ≤ 350,000 NOK (38,799 USD) | 6 (7.3) | 3 (2.6) |  |  |  |
 351,000–750,000 NOK (38,910–83,141 USD) | 21 (25.6) | 29 (25.4) |  |  |  |
  ≥ 751,000 NOK (83,252 USD) | 55 (67.1) | 80 (70.2) |  |  |  |
Wanted pregnancy, n (%)d | 79 (96.3) | 108 (94.7) | 0.28 | .59 | Â |
Parenting experience, n (%) | Â | Â | 0.45 | .80 | Â |
 First-time mother | 38 (46.3) | 57 (50.0) |  |  |  |
 Second-time mother | 37 (45.1) | 46 (40.4) |  |  |  |
 Two or more previous children | 7 (8.5) | 11 (9.6) |  |  |  |
Mental health, n (%) | |||||
 Lifetime mental health problems | 28 (34.1) | 40 (35.1) | 0.02 | .89 | .003 |
 Previous depressive symptomse | 28 (34.1) | 36 (31.6) | 0.14 | .70 | .02 |
 Contact with mental health services | 24 (29.3) | 36 (31.6) | 0.12 | .73 | .017 |
Physical health, n (%) | Â | Â | 1.10 | .58 | Â |
 Pregnancy-related physical health problemsa | 25 (30.5) | 37 (32.5) | 0.08 | .77 |  |
 Other physical health problemsc | 8 (9.8) | 16 (14.0) | 0.81 | .37 |  |
Social support, n (%) | |||||
 Family can help when in need | 74 (90.2) | 109 (95.6) | 2.22 | .14 | .322 |
 Friends can help when in need | 72 (87.8) | 104 (91.2) | 0.61 | .43 | .088 |
 Can confide in family | 73 (89.0) | 95 (83.3) | 1.26 | .26 | .182 |
 Can confide in friends | 75 (91.5) | 109 (95.6) | 1.43 | .23 | .207 |
Clinical questionnaires, M (SD) | |||||
 Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale | 4.30 (3.09) | 4.66 (3.81) | 0.50 | .61 | .072 |
 Beck Depression Inventory-II | 7.79 (4.15) | 7.98 (5.89) | 0.20 | .84 | .029 |
 Pregnancy-Related Anxiety Questionnaire | 23.26 (7.55) | 23.55 (8.34) | 0.25 | .80 | .036 |
 Adverse Childhood Experiences | 0.79 (1.37) | 0.98 (1.67) | 0.75 | .45 | .109 |
 Maternal Antenatal Attachment Scale | 73.63 (7.67) | 74.86 (6.88) | 0.56 | .57 | .081 |