Knowledge, perception, and protective measures of Turkish pregnant women towards COVID-19 pandemic and their effects on anxiety levels

• Published in: Journal of obstetrics and gynaecology p. 1
• Main Authors: Demircan, Sinem, Demirçivi Bör, Ergül
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England 04.07.2022
• Subjects: anxiety; preventive measures; COVID‐19; pregnancy; hospital anxiety and depression scale (HADS); knowledge
• ISSN: 1364-6893
• DOI: 10.1080/01443615.2021.1990232

The aim of this study was to assess the knowledge of pregnant women regarding COVID-19 while evaluating the ability of protective measures and their effects on the level of anxiety during this pandemic. Using a prospective cross-sectional survey, 304 pregnant women attending prenatal polyclinics were included in our study between June 10 and July 10, 2020. The mean age of participants was 29.2 ± 6.0 years. The median gestational week was 25, ranging from 25 to 40 weeks of gestation. There was no significant correlation between a gestational week or complicated pregnancy and anxiety. Most participants possessed adequate knowledge and practical skills concerning Covid-19. Women with adequate knowledge were found to be statistically related to a high practice skills score and lower anxiety levels. Good knowledge levels are related to good practice skills and lower anxiety levels. Although pregnancy is not currently considered a risk factor, we believe it is vital to inform pregnant women about COVID-19 since they are naturally prone to mental problems and respiratory infections during pregnancy. Therefore, healthcare professionals should be encouraged to play an active role in this issue, replacing social media, a common source of misinformation for this target demographic.Impact statement The prevalence of depression and anxiety symptoms among pregnant women increased significantly after the declaration of human-to-human transmission and the increasingly rapid spread of COVID-19. Pregnant women with good knowledge of COVID-19 were found to have adequate practice skills and lower anxiety levels. The act of informing pregnant women is essential in reducing anxiety levels and taking more accurate measures against COVID-19 because high levels of anxiety and depression can have long-term effects on maternal and foetal health. To minimise the potential for information pollution on social media, health professionals must play a more significant role in informing pregnant women and provide evidence-based information to pregnant women about the effects of COVID-19 on pregnancy.