Fear of COVID-19, mental health, and pregnancy outcomes in the pregnancy during the COVID-19 pandemic study: Fear of COVID-19 and pregnancy outcomes

doi:10.1016/j.jad.2021.12.057

. 2022 Feb 15:299:483-491.

doi: 10.1016/j.jad.2021.12.057. Epub 2021 Dec 21.

Fear of COVID-19, mental health, and pregnancy outcomes in the pregnancy during the COVID-19 pandemic study: Fear of COVID-19 and pregnancy outcomes

G F Giesbrecht¹, L Rojas², S Patel³, V Kuret⁴, A L MacKinnon⁵, L Tomfohr-Madsen⁶, C Lebel⁷

Affiliations

¹ Department of Paediatrics, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada; Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute (ACHRI), Calgary, AB, Canada; Department of Community Health Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada; Department of Psychology, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada. Electronic address: ggiesbre@ucalgary.ca.
² Department of Paediatrics, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada; Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute (ACHRI), Calgary, AB, Canada.
³ Department of Psychology, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada.
⁴ Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, University of Calgary, AB, Canada.
⁵ Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute (ACHRI), Calgary, AB, Canada; Department of Psychology, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada.
⁶ Department of Paediatrics, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada; Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute (ACHRI), Calgary, AB, Canada; Department of Psychology, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada.
⁷ Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute (ACHRI), Calgary, AB, Canada; Department of Radiology, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada.

PMID: 34952107
PMCID: PMC8690287
DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2021.12.057

Free PMC article

Fear of COVID-19, mental health, and pregnancy outcomes in the pregnancy during the COVID-19 pandemic study: Fear of COVID-19 and pregnancy outcomes

G F Giesbrecht et al. J Affect Disord. 2022.

Free PMC article

. 2022 Feb 15:299:483-491.

doi: 10.1016/j.jad.2021.12.057. Epub 2021 Dec 21.

Authors

G F Giesbrecht¹, L Rojas², S Patel³, V Kuret⁴, A L MacKinnon⁵, L Tomfohr-Madsen⁶, C Lebel⁷

Affiliations

¹ Department of Paediatrics, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada; Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute (ACHRI), Calgary, AB, Canada; Department of Community Health Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada; Department of Psychology, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada. Electronic address: ggiesbre@ucalgary.ca.
² Department of Paediatrics, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada; Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute (ACHRI), Calgary, AB, Canada.
³ Department of Psychology, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada.
⁴ Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, University of Calgary, AB, Canada.
⁵ Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute (ACHRI), Calgary, AB, Canada; Department of Psychology, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada.
⁶ Department of Paediatrics, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada; Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute (ACHRI), Calgary, AB, Canada; Department of Psychology, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada.
⁷ Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute (ACHRI), Calgary, AB, Canada; Department of Radiology, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada.

PMID: 34952107
PMCID: PMC8690287
DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2021.12.057

Abstract

Background: Sustained fear during pregnancy has the potential to increase psychological distress and obstetric risk. This study aimed to (1) identify factors and characteristics associated with fear of COVID-19, (2) investigate the relationship between fear of COVID-19 and maternal anxiety and depression, and (3) determine the relationship between fear of COVID-19 and pregnancy outcomes.

Methods: 9251 pregnant Canadians were recruited between April - December 2020. Participants self-reported (scale of 0-100) the degree of threat they perceived from the SARS-CoV-2 virus in relation to themselves and their unborn baby.

Results: Mean fear scores indicated moderate to elevated concern. In multivariable linear regression, fear of COVID-19 was associated with food insecurity, ethnicity, geographic location, history of anxiety prior to pregnancy, having a chronic health condition, pre-pregnancy BMI, parity, and stage of pregnancy at study enrollment. Higher COVID-19 fear was associated with increased odds of depression, adjusted odds ratio (aOR) = 1.75, p < 0.001, 95% CI 1.66-1.85, and anxiety, aOR=2.04, p < 0.001, 95% CI 1.94-2.15). Furthermore, fear of COVID-19 was associated with a 192-gram reduction in infant birthweight, and a 6.1-day reduction in gestational age at birth.

Limitations: The sample has higher education compared to the Canadian population and cannot test causal effects.

Conclusion: This study suggests that sociodemographic, health, and obstetric factors may contribute to increased fear of COVID-19 and associated adverse psychological and pregnancy outcomes.

Keywords: Anxiety; Birthweight; COVID-19; Depression; Fear; Pregnancy during the pandemic (PdP); Pregnancy outcomes.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors report no conflicts of interest.

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References

1. Ahmad M., Vismara L. The psychological impact of COVID-19 pandemic on women’s mental health during pregnancy: a rapid evidence review. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health. 2021;18(13):7112. doi: 10.3390/ijerph18137112. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
1. Bat-Erdene U., Metcalfe A., McDonald S.W., Tough S.C. Validation of Canadian mothers’ recall of events in labour and delivery with electronic health records. BMC Pregn. Childb. 2013;13(1):1–6. - PMC - PubMed
1. Bergink V., Kooistra L., Berg Lambregtse-van den, M P., Wijnen H., Bunevicius R., van Baar A., Pop V. Validation of the Edinburgh Depression Scale during pregnancy. J. Psychosom. Res. 2011;70(4):385–389. doi: 10.1016/j.jpsychores.2010.07.008. - DOI - PubMed
1. Cella D., Riley W., Stone A., Rothrock N., Reeve B., Yount S., Group P.C. The Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) developed and tested its first wave of adult self-reported health outcome item banks: 2005-2008. J. Clin. Epidemiol. 2010;63(11):1179–1194. doi: 10.1016/j.jclinepi.2010.04.011. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
1. Corbett G.A., Milne S.J., Hehir M.P., Lindow S.W., O'connell M.P. Health anxiety and behavioural changes of pregnant women during the COVID-19 pandemic. Eur. J. Obstet. Gynecol. Reprod. Biol. 2020;249:96. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7194619/pdf/main.pdf Retrieved from. - PMC - PubMed

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[1] Ahmad M., Vismara L. The psychological impact of COVID-19 pandemic on women’s mental health during pregnancy: a rapid evidence review. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health. 2021;18(13):7112. doi: 10.3390/ijerph18137112. - DOI - PMC - PubMed

[2] Ahmad M., Vismara L. The psychological impact of COVID-19 pandemic on women’s mental health during pregnancy: a rapid evidence review. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health. 2021;18(13):7112. doi: 10.3390/ijerph18137112. - DOI - PMC - PubMed

[3] Bat-Erdene U., Metcalfe A., McDonald S.W., Tough S.C. Validation of Canadian mothers’ recall of events in labour and delivery with electronic health records. BMC Pregn. Childb. 2013;13(1):1–6. - PMC - PubMed

[4] Bat-Erdene U., Metcalfe A., McDonald S.W., Tough S.C. Validation of Canadian mothers’ recall of events in labour and delivery with electronic health records. BMC Pregn. Childb. 2013;13(1):1–6. - PMC - PubMed

[5] Bergink V., Kooistra L., Berg Lambregtse-van den, M P., Wijnen H., Bunevicius R., van Baar A., Pop V. Validation of the Edinburgh Depression Scale during pregnancy. J. Psychosom. Res. 2011;70(4):385–389. doi: 10.1016/j.jpsychores.2010.07.008. - DOI - PubMed

[6] Bergink V., Kooistra L., Berg Lambregtse-van den, M P., Wijnen H., Bunevicius R., van Baar A., Pop V. Validation of the Edinburgh Depression Scale during pregnancy. J. Psychosom. Res. 2011;70(4):385–389. doi: 10.1016/j.jpsychores.2010.07.008. - DOI - PubMed

[7] Cella D., Riley W., Stone A., Rothrock N., Reeve B., Yount S., Group P.C. The Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) developed and tested its first wave of adult self-reported health outcome item banks: 2005-2008. J. Clin. Epidemiol. 2010;63(11):1179–1194. doi: 10.1016/j.jclinepi.2010.04.011. - DOI - PMC - PubMed

[8] Cella D., Riley W., Stone A., Rothrock N., Reeve B., Yount S., Group P.C. The Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) developed and tested its first wave of adult self-reported health outcome item banks: 2005-2008. J. Clin. Epidemiol. 2010;63(11):1179–1194. doi: 10.1016/j.jclinepi.2010.04.011. - DOI - PMC - PubMed

[9] Corbett G.A., Milne S.J., Hehir M.P., Lindow S.W., O'connell M.P. Health anxiety and behavioural changes of pregnant women during the COVID-19 pandemic. Eur. J. Obstet. Gynecol. Reprod. Biol. 2020;249:96. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7194619/pdf/main.pdf Retrieved from. - PMC - PubMed

[10] Corbett G.A., Milne S.J., Hehir M.P., Lindow S.W., O'connell M.P. Health anxiety and behavioural changes of pregnant women during the COVID-19 pandemic. Eur. J. Obstet. Gynecol. Reprod. Biol. 2020;249:96. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7194619/pdf/main.pdf Retrieved from. - PMC - PubMed

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Fear of COVID-19, mental health, and pregnancy outcomes in the pregnancy during the COVID-19 pandemic study: Fear of COVID-19 and pregnancy outcomes

Affiliations

Fear of COVID-19, mental health, and pregnancy outcomes in the pregnancy during the COVID-19 pandemic study: Fear of COVID-19 and pregnancy outcomes

Authors

Affiliations

Abstract

Conflict of interest statement

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