ANTENATAL ANXIETY AND PREGNANCY WORRIES IN ASSOCIATION WITH MARITAL AND SOCIAL SUPPORT

A wide range of psychosocial variables may influence pregnant women's
psychological status. However the association between marital and social support, anxiety and worries
during pregnancy is a relatively neglected area of research. Therefore, the aim of this study was to
examine the relationship between marital support, social support, antenatal anxiety and pregnancy
worries after controlling for the effects of background variables.
Material & Methods: In a descriptive cross-sectional study, 214 pregnant women attending in Health
Centers for prenatal care in the city of Urmia, Iran were selected using convenience sampling, then they
were evaluated using Spielberger state- Trait Anxiety Inventor) STAI). Pregnancy worries were
measured with the Cambridge Worry Scale, social support with the Social Support Questionnaire-6 and
marital satisfaction with the marital quality scale. Data were analyzed using liner regression and ordinal
logistic regression.
Results: The average age of participating in the study was 27/62 ± 5/47. 86/4% of women had low
concern, and 13/6% had high concern.7% of women had lower-middle anxiety, 22/9% moderate to high
anxiety, and 4.44% moderately severe anxiety, and 25.7% had severe anxiety. Low marital satisfaction
was significantly related to pregnancy worries(P=0/01).In addition, age )Pvalue=0/07,OR=0/94 ,
CI=0/88-1/00), gestational age (Pvalue=0/35,OR=2/63, CI= 0/33 –20/83) ،abortion
(Pvalue=0/71 ,OR=1/17 ,CI= 0/50 –2/73(, education (Pvalue=0/08 , CI=2/60, OR=0/87 – 7/76) and
marital satisfaction(Pvalue=0/05,( OR= 0/98 CI= 0/96 – 1/00) were significantly related to anxiety.
Primiparus in comparison with nulliparus women were significantly related to lower anxiety. And low
marital satisfaction was significantly related to anxiety and high social support (SSQ-Network
(Pvalue=0/02, OR=1/66 CI= 1/08 – 2/56) and SSQ-Satisfaction (Pvalue=0/003, OR=1/63, CI= 1/18-
2/26) were significantly related to low anxiety.
Conclusion: The risk factors found in this study could help clinician’s target anxiety screening to highrisk populations of pregnant women. Health care professionals and midwives in particular should be
trained in the detection and management of anxiety and worries during pregnancy .Planning preventive
and supportive programs for pregnant women is necessary