Influence of coping strategies on somatic symptoms in pregnant Spanish women: differences between women with and without a previous miscarriage

Adapting the revised prenatal coping inventory (NuPCI) for use in a Spanish population

OBJECTIVE

To adapt the Revised Prenatal Coping Inventory (NuPCI) for the evaluation of prenatal stress coping strategies utilised by Spanish women.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study was performed to evaluate the psychometric properties of NuPCI adapted for a Spanish population. Two hundred and sixty one puerperium women completed the NuPCI at the time of discharge after childbirth. Instrument construct validity was evaluated using subscale item correlations. Internal consistency was assessed using Cronbach's α test.

RESULTS

Items from each subscale (Preparation, Avoidance and Spiritual - Positive Coping) were significantly correlated with the global result (p < .001). The internal reliability of the NuPCI demonstrated suitable values for each of the three coping strategies (α > 0.7). The most frequently used coping strategy was Preparation and the least used was Avoidance. Utilisation of the coping strategies with Preparation decreased with increasing parity (p = .002) and greater prenatal stress was associated with increased use of the Avoidance coping strategy (p < .001).

CONCLUSIONS

The NuPCI adapted for Spanish women demonstrates good psychometric properties for evaluating the three types of prenatal stress coping strategies: Preparation, Avoidance and Spiritual - Positive Coping. Results were similar to those presented by the instrument in its English language version.

Agreeableness and pregnancy: Relations with coping and psychiatric symptoms, a longitudinal study on Spanish pregnant women

Agreeableness is associated with good mental health during pregnancy. Although different studies have indicated that agreeableness is related to adaptive coping, this relation has scarcely been studied in pregnant women. The aim of this study was to analyze the possible differences between high and low agreeableness in relation to coping strategies and psychiatric symptoms in pregnant women. We conducted a longitudinal prospective study between October 2009 and January 2013. Pregnant women (n = 285) were assessed in the first trimester of pregnancy, and 122 of them were assessed during the third. Data were collected using the Coping Strategies Questionnaire, the Symptom Check List 90-R, and the agreeableness subscale of the NEO-FFI. Using the SPSS 21 statistics package, binary logistic regression, two-way mixed analysis of variance, and multiple regression analyses and a Sobel test were conducted. Higher levels of agreeableness were associated with positive reappraisal and problem-solving, and lower levels of agreeableness were associated with overt emotional expression and negative self-focused coping. Women with low agreeableness had poorer mental health, especially in the first trimester. These findings should be taken into account to improve women's experiences during pregnancy. Nevertheless, given the scarcity of data, additional studies are needed.

Coping strategies of Spanish pregnant women and their impact on anxiety and depression

The aims of this study were to analyze the coping strategies used by women in the first trimester of low-risk pregnancies, their relationships to sociodemographic and pregnancy variables, and their ability to predict anxiety and depression in the third trimester. Participants in the first trimester were 285 Spanish pregnant women, of whom 122 were followed into the third trimester. The use of problem-focused coping was stable, whereas variations occurred in emotion-focused coping. Age, educational level, employment, planned pregnancy, previous childbirth, and previous miscarriage were associated with adaptive coping. Coping strategies predicting anxiety and depressive symptoms were overt emotional expression and social support seeking. Coping through religion predicted anxiety. Coping is a complex process influenced by sociodemographic and obstetric factors that can contribute to the onset of psychological symptoms.