Institute for Public Health and Medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA.
Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA.
J Assist Reprod Genet. 2021 Apr;38(4):877-887. doi: 10.1007/s10815-021-02079-3. Epub 2021 Feb 6.
To better understand the beliefs about a causal role of emotional stress maintained by women seeking fertility care.
A cross-sectional, self-administered survey was distributed to fertility care patients at an academic fertility center in Illinois. Of 5000 consecutive patients, 1460 completed the survey and were included in the study sample.
Members of our sample (N = 1460) were between 20 and 58 years (mean = 36.2, SD = 4.4). Most respondents were White (72.2%), were in a heterosexual relationship (86.8%), and felt that their physician understood their cultural background (79.4%). Of the sample, 28.9% believed emotional stress could cause infertility, 69.0% believed emotional stress could reduce success with fertility treatment, and 31.3% believed that emotional stress could cause a miscarriage, with evidence of significant racial differences. Less than a quarter (23.8%) of the sample believed emotional stress had no impact on fertility. Lower household income and educational attainment were associated with a greater belief in emotional stress as a causative factor in reproduction with regard to infertility, fertility treatment, and miscarriage.
The majority of women seeking fertility care believe emotional stress could reduce the success of fertility treatment. Furthermore, beliefs about emotional stress and reproduction significantly differ based on race/ethnicity, income, and education. Particular attention should be paid to specific groups of women who may more likely not be aware of the lack of a proven biological relationship between emotional stress and reproduction.
更好地理解寻求生育护理的女性对情绪压力的因果作用的信念。
在伊利诺伊州的一家学术生育中心，对生育护理患者进行了横断面、自我管理的调查。在连续的 5000 名患者中，有 1460 名完成了调查并被纳入研究样本。
我们的样本（N=1460）年龄在 20 至 58 岁之间（平均值=36.2，标准差=4.4）。大多数受访者是白人（72.2%），处于异性恋关系（86.8%），并认为他们的医生了解他们的文化背景（79.4%）。在样本中，28.9%的人认为情绪压力会导致不孕，69.0%的人认为情绪压力会降低生育治疗的成功率，31.3%的人认为情绪压力会导致流产，这表明存在显著的种族差异。不到四分之一（23.8%）的样本认为情绪压力对生育没有影响。较低的家庭收入和教育程度与更大的信念相关，即情绪压力是不孕、生育治疗和流产的一个致病因素。
大多数寻求生育护理的女性认为情绪压力会降低生育治疗的成功率。此外，关于情绪压力和生殖的信念因种族/民族、收入和教育程度而有显著差异。应特别关注那些可能不太了解情绪压力与生殖之间缺乏已证实的生物学关系的特定群体的女性。
