An Assessment of the Level of COVID-19 Anxiety among Pregnant Women in Poland: A Cross-Sectional Study.

INTRODUCTION

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused general anxiety worldwide. Pregnant women are at a much higher risk of developing the infection due to multiple changes that occur in the body during this period. The consequences of the disease can be dramatic not only for the expectant mothers, but also for their unborn children. SARS-CoV-2 infection is generally known to cause serious concerns about future health and life. The data on the severity of COVID-19 pandemic-related anxiety in pregnant women are insufficient. The aim of the study was to assess the level of COVID-19-related anxiety among pregnant women in Poland.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The study included 173 pregnant women who volunteered for the research. The research was conducted by means of an online diagnostic survey containing an original questionnaire and the following standardized tools: State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), Short Health Anxiety Inventory (SHAI), and General Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7).

RESULTS

Women hospitalised during pregnancy differed statistically significantly in terms of STAI-X1 scores. Primiparas obtained statistically significantly higher SHAI scores than multiparas. Women with higher education had higher SHAI scores. In the GAD-7 scale, 13.3% of respondents obtained a score suggesting a suspected generalised anxiety disorder.

CONCLUSIONS

Pregnant women are concerned about both developing COVID-19 and the consequences of infection for themselves and their unborn children. The study demonstrated anxiety of varying severity (depending on the tool used). Hospital stay during pregnancy is an additional stressor in expectant women. Further studies are needed to assess the level of COVID-19-related anxiety to assess this phenomenon in Poland in more detail.