Impactful socio-environmental changes related to the COVID-19 pandemic in prenatal women.
Abstract
Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic has been accompanied by unprecedented socio-environmental changes and heightened uncertainty for pregnant women. Because maternal mental health and wellbeing impact maternal-infant health outcomes, it is imperative that we understand pregnant women’s health/coping behaviors and the psychological implications resulting from these socio-environmental changes.
Methods: Pregnant women aged 18 or older in the US completed a cross-sectional survey (N=83) during the COVID-19 pandemic. The survey was administered in April 2020 (T1) and May 2020 (T2). Participants were assessed for stressors and health/coping behaviors related to the pandemic. Correlations and a multiple binary logistic regression analysis were conducted.
Results: The number of participants working from home significantly increased from T1 to T2 (p<.05), a change that was driven by women in households earning less than the US median income. There was also a significant interaction between working more from home and income on participant endorsement of connecting with others, such as talking with people they trust about their concerns and feelings (p<0.05); pregnant women in households earning under the US median income had 9.46 times the odds of connecting with others.
Conclusion: Our findings highlight impactful changes resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic for pregnant women, specifically increased ability to work from home for lower income women, and their increased ability to connect with others. Positive familial relationships have been repeatedly shown to be beneficial to the health and outcome of pregnancies. Future studies should examine a work-from-home model for pregnant women to allow for increased opportunity for familial interaction.
About the Presenter
Danielle Spellacy
Danielle Spellacy is currently a second-year medical student at the Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine. She graduated from Gonzaga University in 2019 with a Bachelor of Science degree in biology. Her career interests lie in obstetrics/gynecology and prevention medicine.