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Pregnancy-related anxiety symptoms and associated factors amongst pregnant women attending a tertiary hospital in south-west Nigeria


Adesanmi Akinsulore
Akinfenwa M. Temidayo
Ibidunni O. Oloniniyi
Badejoko O. Olalekan
Oladimeji B. Yetunde

Abstract

Background: Pregnancy can be associated with anxiety symptoms because of anticipated uncertainty.


Aim: This study investigated pregnancy-related anxiety symptoms (PRASs) and their associated factors amongst pregnant women.


Setting: Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospitals Complex, Ile-Ife, Nigeria.


Methods: This cross-sectional survey involved 230 pregnant women attending antenatal clinic at a tertiary teaching hospital in Nigeria. Pregnancy-  related anxiety symptoms, maternal worries, personality traits and social support were measured by using Perinatal Anxiety Screening Scale (PASS),  Cambridge Worry Scale (CWS), Big Five Personality Inventory (BFI10) and Maternal Social Support Scale (MSSS) respectively. Socio-demographic and  obstetric details were also obtained. The Chi-square, t-test and logistic regression were used.


Results: Respondents’ mean age was 28.2 ± 5.4 years, whilst 192 (83.5%) were of Yoruba ethnicity. Twenty-four respondents (10.4%) were in the first  trimester, 85 (37.0%) in the second and 121 (52.6%) in the third trimester. Some 154 (67.0%) were parous. The prevalence of PRAS and major maternal  worries were 43.5% and 55.7% respectively. The socio-demographic factors significantly associated with PRAS were age (p = 0.004), ethnicity (p = 0.001), educational level (p = 0.011) and living arrangement (p = 0.029). Associated obstetric factors include trimester (p = 0.01), hypertension (p = 0.006), past  miscarriage(s) (p = 0.013) and past pregnancy complication (p = 0.030). Significant psychosocial factors were partner social support (p = 0.038), maternal  worries (p < 0.001) and extraversion (p = 0.016). Factors that contributed significantly to regression models were older maternal age and socio-medical  worries.


Conclusion: High level of PRAS and major maternal worries were common amongst antenatal clinic attendees of a tertiary teaching hospital in Nigeria.  Older maternal age and socio-medical maternal worries are important predictors of PRAS. 


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eISSN: 2078-6786
print ISSN: 1608-9685