Assessing of the Anxiety Level of COVID-19 and Its Relationship with the Demographic Variables of Pregnant Women: A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Background: The current and alarming situation of the COVID-19 pandemic may cause anxiety in pregnant women. Objectives: Given the importance of both physical and mental health for expectant women, this study investigated COVID-19 anxiety among pregnant women referred to Asalian Hospital in Khorramabad during 2021 - 2022. Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among pregnant women referred to Asalian Hospital in Khorramabad. A total of 253 pregnant women were included in the study based on the study criteria and the available sampling method. The Corona Virus Anxiety Scale was used to collect data through a questionnaire. The data were analyzed using SPSS version 22, and analysis of variance (ANOVA) and t-tests were employed to examine the data, with the significance level set at 0.05. Results: The mean age of expectant women was 27.7 ± 3.56 years. The average anxiety score among the pregnant women was 4.39 ± 3.99, with physical and mental dimension scores of 1.67 ± 1.89 and 2.71 ± 2.15, respectively. There was a statistically significant difference in the average anxiety scores related to COVID-19 based on education, place of residence, and the number of pregnancies (P < 0.05). Conclusions: The present study found that pregnant women experienced a low level of anxiety in response to COVID-19. The average score for the psychological aspect of COVID-19-related anxiety among these women was greater than that for the physical aspect. Therefore, by increasing public awareness about COVID-19 and providing positive psychological programs in the media aimed at managing stress, anxiety in pregnant women can be effectively reduced.