Abstracts from Research Forums Presented at the American College of Nurse–Midwives’ 58th Annual Meeting

s from Research Forums Presented at the American College of Nurse–Midwives’ 58th Annual Meeting The American College of Nurse-Midwives (ACNM) Division of Research, Division of Global Health, and the Journal of Midwifery and Women’s Health are pleased to present the abstracts from the 2013 Research Forum podium presentations. The podium presentations were selected in a blinded peer review process and presented at the ACNM Annual Meeting in May 2013. The abstracts of completed research were eligible for presentation and therefore publication. The abstracts presented here demonstrate the breadth and quality of research being conducted about midwifery and women’s health by midwifery researchers and our colleagues. LisaHanson, CNM,PhD,Chair, Division of Research Carrie Klima, CNM, PhD, Chair, Research Dissemination Section, Division of Research Jody Lori, CNM, PhD, Chair, Division of Global Health Amy Levi, CNM, PhD, Chair, Research Section, Division of Global Health Validation of the Optimality Index-US for Use in Turkey to Assess Maternity Care Cigdem Yucel, PhD, RN (Hacettepe University, Turkey); Lisa Kane Low,CNM,PhD, FACNM(University ofMichigan); Lale Taskin, PhD, RN (Hacettepe University, Turkey) Aim: To determine the validity of a translated version of the Optimality Index-United States (OI-US) for use in Turkey by comparing the scores for healthy and high-risk pregnant women. Background: The OI-US is a validated instrument used in perinatal outcomes research based on the principle of using the least amount of intervention to promote maximum outcomes. It includes process and outcome items in 2 parts, the perinatal background index (PBI) and optimality index (OI) which combine as the total OI-US. There are not validated instruments for use in Turkey thatmeasure optimality.Methods: The study was conducted at a women’s hospital in Ankara, Turkey in April and May 2012. Laboring women (N= 300)were grouped according to their pregnancy risk status into 2 groups: 150 healthy pregnant women and 150 highrisk pregnant women. Data were collected prospectively and were analyzed with percentages and t tests for independent samples. High scores indicate greater optimality. The total OI includes both the PBI and the OI combined. Results: There was a significant difference between the mean PBI scores in high-risk andhealthy pregnantwomen (t: 2.654;P 0.05) and a significant difference between the mean OI scores in highrisk and healthy pregnant women (t: –2.065; P 0.05). Yet the total OI scores for high-risk compared to healthy women was not significant (t: –0.084; P 0.05). Discussion: The results of this study indicate that while the risk status of women differs, the type of care they received is essentially the same as measured by the Turkish version of the OI-US which is not optimal. The validity of the instrument appears to function appropriately. doi:10.1111/jmwh.12115 Local Midwives Finish Last: Findings From a Demographic and Work Environment Survey Among Auxiliary Midwives in Mali Nicole E Warren, CNM, PhD, MPH, (Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing); Seydou Doumbia, MD, PhD (Université des Sciences, des Techniques et des Technologies de Bamako, Mali); Peter E Winch, MD, MPH (Johns Hopkins