The Relationship Between Anxiety During Pregnancy and Perceived Social Support in Pregnant Women Referred to Health Center in Semnan (2019)

Abstract

Background: Pregnancy leads to numerous changes, including alterations in psychological needs, often resulting in anxiety that necessitates various psychological adjustments. Social support is a key factor influencing anxiety. Objectives: This study aimed to determine the relationship between anxiety during pregnancy and perceived social support in pregnant women. Methods: This cross-sectional study included 1,095 pregnant women who referred to the Tadayon Comprehensive Health Center in Semnan city in 2019, using a convenience sampling method. All participants completed a demographic checklist, the shortened Social Support Questionnaire (SSQ), and the shortened Pregnancy-Related Anxiety Questionnaire (PRAQ). Data were analyzed using SPSS version 21 software. Descriptive statistics, Spearman's correlation coefficient, and a generalized linear regression model were employed. Results: The mean age of participants was 29.38 ± 4.94 years. Most women (73.3%) were housewives, and 64.5% had academic education. Nearly half (47%) were experiencing their first pregnancy, and 1.5% had a history of miscarriage or stillbirth. Social support demonstrated a significant inverse correlation with pregnancy anxiety (R = -0.214, P < 0.001). Higher education level, primigravidity, and a history of miscarriage were associated with greater social support (P < 0.001). Increasing age was associated with lower prenatal anxiety (P = 0.029). Conclusions: The findings underscore the protective role of social support in mitigating pregnancy anxiety. These results suggest that interventions to enhance social support, tailored to factors such as age, education, and parity, may improve mental well-being during pregnancy. Thus, developing and implementing targeted social and cultural programs to strengthen social support for pregnant women is a key implication of this research.