CORRELATION BETWEEN PHYSICAL VIOLENCE AND MOTHERFETUS ATTACHMENT IN PREGNANT MOTHERS VISITING THE HEALTHCARE CENTERS OF MASHHAD

Attachment affects fetus’s growth and health. Physical violence during pregnancy
will have harmful effects on the physical and mental health, which may also affect the level of maternal
and fetal attachment. The purpose of this research is to study the correlation between physical violence
and mother-fetus attachment in pregnant mothers visiting the Healthcare Centers of Mashhad.
Materials & Methods: This descriptive-correlational study was conducted in 200 pregnant mothers
visiting the selected Healthcare Centers of Mashhad. The questionnaires were demographic information,
Straus Violence Questionnaire and Cranley’s Mother-Fetus Attachment. Questionnaire. Data were
analyzed using descriptive and correlation coefficient and liner regression tests as well as SPSS v.21
software.
Results: 26% of members had experienced physical violence. In general, there was a reversed and
significant correlation between physical violence and mother-fetus attachment. 89% of Research
Centers reported fetal attachment as good, 10% as average and 1% as weak. Based on the linear
regression test, physical violence was able to predict the variance of maternal attachment attachment
score of 4.14% in mothers.
Conclusion: A higher physical violence is associated with lower maternal attachment to the fetus. The
reduction and control of physical violence and the provision of family and marital counseling are
recommended to increase maternal and fetal attachment and to improve maternal health.