Previdi Irene Lafarga, Vega Carmen Vélez, Otero Nobel Hernández, Guzzi Vasques Ana, Colón Génesis Alvelo, Ayala Ishwara, Guilloty Natacha, Medina Jessica, Cancel Marialane, Contreras Sofía, Cordero José, Alshawabkeh Akram
Center for Collaborative Research in Health Disparities, UPR Medical Sciences Campus, San Juan, USA.
University of Puerto Rico, Medical Sciences Campus, San Juan, USA.
Matern Child Health J. 2025 Feb;29(2):139-147. doi: 10.1007/s10995-024-04026-x. Epub 2024 Dec 14.
The specific aims of the project are: (1) Examine the impact of COVID-19 on pregnancy experiences and outcomes; (2) Examine the mental health impact of COVID-19 in pregnant women and mothers of children 12 months or younger; (3) Identify risk and protective factors among this population in Puerto Rico.
Participants were recruited from the Puerto Rico Team for Exploring Contamination Threats (PROTECT) Superfund Program, which is composed of pregnant women and mothers from the northern karst region of Puerto Rico. The research had a mixed methods approach with a quantitative survey (n = 184) and qualitative interviews (n = 10); data collection was done in virtual mode.
Findings from the qualitative interviews highlight the experiences regarding access to healthcare services, pregnancy and birth experiences, social support, and mental health during the pandemic among women with young children. These narratives serve to illustrate the particular challenges and opportunities that the participants faced during the year 2021 in regard to maternal health in Puerto Rico.
COVID-19 restrictions impacted the experiences in receiving healthcare services, particularly regarding the birthing process and the participants' mental health. Social support, particularly from family, was found to be a protective factor for facing the challenges during pandemic times. We expect that the findings can lead to the development of interventions for community health centers, prenatal clinics, non-governmental organizations, and parents/caretakers in Puerto Rico.
该项目的具体目标如下：（1）研究新冠疫情对妊娠经历及结局的影响；（2）研究新冠疫情对孕妇及12个月及以下儿童母亲心理健康的影响；（3）确定波多黎各这一人群中的风险因素和保护因素。
参与者从波多黎各探索污染威胁团队（PROTECT）超级基金项目中招募，该项目由来自波多黎各北部岩溶地区的孕妇和母亲组成。该研究采用了混合方法，包括定量调查（n = 184）和定性访谈（n = 10）；数据收集以虚拟方式进行。
定性访谈的结果突出了在疫情期间，有幼儿的女性在获得医疗服务、妊娠和分娩经历、社会支持以及心理健康方面的经历。这些叙述有助于说明参与者在2021年在波多黎各孕产妇健康方面面临的特殊挑战和机遇。
新冠疫情限制措施影响了获得医疗服务的经历，特别是在分娩过程和参与者心理健康方面。社会支持，尤其是来自家庭的支持，被发现是在疫情期间应对挑战的一个保护因素。我们期望这些研究结果能够为波多黎各的社区卫生中心、产前诊所、非政府组织以及家长/照顾者制定干预措施提供参考。
