open access
Expectations of pregnant women for antenatal care services and factors affecting anxiety severity during the COVID-19 pandemic
- University of Health Sciences , Zeynep Kamil Women and Children’s Disease Training and Research Hospital, Istanbul, Türkiye
- University of Health Sciences Hamidiye Nursing Faculty / Turkey Institutes of Health Presidency, Istanbul, Turkey
- Osmaniye Community Health Center, Osmaniye, Turkey
open access
Abstract
Objectives: We aimed to evaluate the difficulties pregnant women encountered while receiving health care, their demands for antenatal care, and their mental state during the COVID-19 pandemic. Material and methods: A total of 447 pregnant women were included in this cross-sectional study. The data were collected through a face-to-face questionnaire, which assessed participants’ demographic, individual, and obstetric characteristics, their opinions regarding the COVID-19 pandemic, expectations from their antenatal care services, and their Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) scores. Results: During the COVID-19 pandemic, it was determined that 17.2% of the pregnant women participating in our study could not go to antenatal follow-ups and almost half (45.9%) demanded that their follow-ups be reduced due to the risk of coronavirus transmission. The BAI scores were found to be significantly higher in participants with low-income levels, chronic diseases, those in the third trimester, those with high-risk pregnancy either previous or current, and those who got pregnant unintentionally. Young age, unintentional conception, advanced pregnancy week, previous high-risk pregnancy, and failure to receive regular antenatal care were independent variables that predicted moderate-severe anxiety in logistic regression analysis. Conclusions: In order to minimize the adverse effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of pregnant women, it is important to develop support programs that contribute to the well-being of the mother and fetus by recognizing the pregnant women at risk in the antenatal period.
Abstract
Objectives: We aimed to evaluate the difficulties pregnant women encountered while receiving health care, their demands for antenatal care, and their mental state during the COVID-19 pandemic. Material and methods: A total of 447 pregnant women were included in this cross-sectional study. The data were collected through a face-to-face questionnaire, which assessed participants’ demographic, individual, and obstetric characteristics, their opinions regarding the COVID-19 pandemic, expectations from their antenatal care services, and their Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) scores. Results: During the COVID-19 pandemic, it was determined that 17.2% of the pregnant women participating in our study could not go to antenatal follow-ups and almost half (45.9%) demanded that their follow-ups be reduced due to the risk of coronavirus transmission. The BAI scores were found to be significantly higher in participants with low-income levels, chronic diseases, those in the third trimester, those with high-risk pregnancy either previous or current, and those who got pregnant unintentionally. Young age, unintentional conception, advanced pregnancy week, previous high-risk pregnancy, and failure to receive regular antenatal care were independent variables that predicted moderate-severe anxiety in logistic regression analysis. Conclusions: In order to minimize the adverse effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of pregnant women, it is important to develop support programs that contribute to the well-being of the mother and fetus by recognizing the pregnant women at risk in the antenatal period.
Keywords
antenatal care; anxiety; Beck Anxiety Inventory; coronavirus; COVID-19; pandemic
Title
Expectations of pregnant women for antenatal care services and factors affecting anxiety severity during the COVID-19 pandemic
Journal
Issue
Article type
Research paper
Pages
142-150
Published online
2021-12-07
Page views
5488
Article views/downloads
828
DOI
Pubmed
Bibliographic record
Ginekol Pol 2022;93(2):142-150.
Keywords
antenatal care
anxiety
Beck Anxiety Inventory
coronavirus
COVID-19
pandemic
Authors
Pınar Kumru
Yeliz Doğan Merih
Mikail Özdemir
Münip Akalin
Ebru Cogendez
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