Rath Abhipsa, Nayak Pallabi, Begum Jasmina, Mitra Subarna
Shri Jagannath Medical College and Hospital, Puri, Odisha, India.
Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India.
Prz Menopauzalny. 2023 Dec;22(4):196-201. doi: 10.5114/pm.2023.133593. Epub 2023 Dec 11.
The COVID-19 pandemic presented an unprecedented challenge, and, as during the SARS outbreak in 2002, there was scope of overestimation of risk by pregnant women, leading to increased fear and anxiety. The aim of this study was to assess the psychosocial impact of the pandemic on pregnant women so better-informed decisions can be taken to spread awareness and alleviate their anxieties.
This was a cross-sectional study in a single tertiary care centre of Eastern India including 292 participants. The inclusion criteria were all pregnant women of any gestational age attending the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Bhubaneswar for antenatal check-up or delivery. The exclusion criteria were patients with severe morbidities and patients not willing to participate. The primary outcome was to determine the psychosocial impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on pregnant women and to measure the anxiety level of pregnant women during the COVID-19 crisis. The secondary outcome was to determine the correlation between demographic aspects and psychosocial impact of COVID-19 pandemic on pregnant women.
A self-designed questionnaire was used. Anxiety was scored using the generalised anxiety disorder scale. More than half the participants (57.9%) were not at all worried about acquiring the infection. Of all, 99.3% were scored to have no anxiety and 0.7% had moderate anxiety. Significant association of the level of anxiety was found with living with people at high risk of contracting the disease ( = 0.002).
The widespread awareness activities were effective and successful, as the pregnant women at the grassroots level faced minimal anxiety and were aware and assured. Studies like this help to provide feedback and formulate educational activities in future pandemics. The change in the effect on people, from panic in the previous pandemics to assurance in the current one, as found in our study, indicates the commendable work done to spread well founded information far and wide by the government, health care institutions, and workers.
新冠疫情带来了前所未有的挑战，与2002年非典疫情期间一样，孕妇存在高估风险的情况，导致恐惧和焦虑加剧。本研究的目的是评估疫情对孕妇的心理社会影响，以便做出更明智的决策，提高认识并缓解她们的焦虑。
这是一项在印度东部一家三级医疗中心进行的横断面研究，包括292名参与者。纳入标准为所有在布巴内斯瓦尔全印度医学科学研究所进行产前检查或分娩的任何孕周的孕妇。排除标准为患有严重疾病的患者和不愿意参与的患者。主要结果是确定新冠疫情对孕妇的心理社会影响，并测量新冠危机期间孕妇的焦虑水平。次要结果是确定人口统计学因素与新冠疫情对孕妇心理社会影响之间的相关性。
使用自行设计的问卷。焦虑程度采用广泛性焦虑障碍量表评分。超过一半的参与者（57.9%）完全不担心感染。总体而言，99.3%的人被评为无焦虑，0.7%的人有中度焦虑。发现焦虑水平与与疾病高风险人群生活在一起存在显著关联（P = 0.002）。
广泛的宣传活动是有效且成功的，因为基层孕妇面临的焦虑最小，且有认识并感到安心。这样的研究有助于提供反馈，并为未来的疫情制定教育活动。正如我们的研究所发现的，人们受到的影响从之前疫情中的恐慌转变为当前疫情中的安心，这表明政府、医疗机构和工作人员为广泛传播有充分依据的信息所做的值得称赞的工作。
