Determination of anxietyl Levels of pregnant women living in rural areas

Abstract

The research was planned as a descriptive and cross-sectional to determine the anxiety levels of pregnant women living in a village in a region located in the Mediterranean Region of Turkey. The research took part between December 2020 and April 2021 with 230 women who were 16, 22, and 35 weeks pregnant. Data collection tools consist of the "Pregnant Identification Form" and "Cambridge Anxiety Scale (CAS)." The data were assessed by number, percentage, mean, standard deviation analysis of variance, Kruskal Wallis H, and Mann Whitney U tests in a computer environment. A statistically significant difference was determined between the age group of the spouses of the pregnant women, household size, income status and the number of pregnancies at 16 weeks of pregnancy, and the mean scores they got from the CAS (p<0,05). All pregnant women at 16, 22, and 35 weeks who stated that they had a risky situation in their current pregnancy had mean CAS scores that were statistically significantly higher than those who stated that there was no risky situation in their pregnancy (p<0,05). Consequently, it was observed that as the week of pregnancy increased, the anxiety level increased as well, and there were some variables that increased anxiety in pregnant women. Health professionals should determine the situations causing anxiety in pregnant women and act sensitively accordingly and provide training and consultancy services.