Comparison of Pregnancy Self-Care, Perceived Social Support and Perceived Stress in Low-risk and High-risk Groups

Although, pregnancy and delivery are natural processes in woman's life, they are stressful experiences with emotional, physical and social changes. Woman’s response to pregnancy is affected by a variety of factors, among which pregnancy age can be considered as the most important factor with significant effects on pregnancy and delivery processes. This study was conducted to evaluate the self-care, perceived social support and perceived stress in pregnant women in high- and low-risk ages. This comparative-descriptive study was performed on 400 pregnant women referred to the midwifery clinic of Tabriz 29 Bahman hospital between 2017 and 2018. Individuals were divided into two groups: low-risk (18-35 years old) and high-risk (under 18 and over 35 years old). Data were collected using a four-part questionnaire: demographic characteristics and midwifery history, self-care questionnaire in pregnancy, perceived social support and perceived stress. Data analysis was performed using descriptive statistic and independent t-test in SPSS v21. The means of self-care during pregnancy were 43.2±5.1 and 42±6.2 in low-risk and high-risk groups, respectively. In low-risk and high-risk groups, the means of perceived social support during pregnancy were 68.3±11.6 and 64.4±12.4, and the average perceived stress were 37.3±7 and 39.1±9.4, respectively. Independent t-test showed the significant relationship in self-care (p=0.03), perceived social support (p=0.03) and perceived stress (p=0.008) during pregnancy, in both groups. The study found that pregnant women in high-risk ages experience lower self-care, lower social support and higher stress compared to pregnant women in high-risk ages. Therefore, increasing awareness and education of pregnant women about appropriate lifestyle, increasing social support and reducing stress during pregnancy can help pregnant women to improve their quality of life and successful pregnancy outcomes especially in high-risk ages.