Assessment of the level of anxiety and pain in women who do and do not attend childbirth classes during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic

Women's experiences of online antenatal education: An integrative literature review

AIM

To identify what is currently known about how women experience online antenatal education.

DESIGN

Integrative literature review.

REVIEW METHODS

This integrative review applied the five-stage methodological framework outlined by Whittemore and Knafl (2005), supporting rigour in problem identification, selection and critical appraisal of quality literature, data analysis and synthesis of findings.

DATA SOURCES

A literature search was conducted in May/June 2022, utilizing databases including OVID Embase, CINAHL, Joanna Briggs Institute EBP database, Nursing and Allied Health database, Wiley Online Library, Google scholar search engine and related reference lists. The search was limited to English language and primary research articles published in the last 10-year period (2012-2022).

RESULTS

12 articles met inclusion criteria. Three primary themes were identified: Comprehensibility: Looking back - understanding women's needs and preferences; Manageability: In the moment - flexibility versus social connection; and Meaningfulness & sustainability: Looking forward - the future of digital maternity education.

CONCLUSION

Findings identified a marked digital divide for women accessing online antenatal education, placing vulnerable women at risk of continuing inequity. E-health literacy frameworks need to be implemented to create genuine accessibility, comprehensibility and cultural responsiveness to best meet the needs of users.

IMPLICATIONS FOR THE PROFESSION AND/OR HEALTH CARE CONSUMER

As digital health is an emerging field, there is strong evidence that online antenatal education requires further evaluation to better meet the needs of pregnant women and their support people. Enhancing digital health literacy for health professionals will also promote a greater understanding for how to uphold and support the socio-technical dimensions of online service delivery.

PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION

There were no patient or public contributions as part of this integrative review of the literature.

Assessment of In-Hospital Pain Control after Childbirth and Its Correlation with Anxiety in the Postpartum Period: A Cross-Sectional Study at a Single Center in the USA

Anxiety is common during the antepartum, intrapartum, and postpartum period. While the relationship between obstetric pain and depression is well characterized, there are few publications examining the relationship between obstetric pain and anxiety. Our objective was to characterize the association, if any, between postpartum pain and anxiety. This was a survey-based cross-sectional study. The general anxiety disorder (GAD)-7 and American Pain Society patient outcome questionnaire (APS-POQ) were completed by 64 postpartum participants at hospital discharge. Associations between anxiety and pain control were assessed. Participants with moderate to severe scores (greater or equal to 10) on the GAD-7 had more maximum pain scores (0 to 10 scale) in the severe range (greater or equal to 7) in the first (p = 0.049) and second (p = 0.010) 24 h periods after delivery and were more likely to have spent more time in severe pain within these time frames (p = 0.007 and p = 0.010, respectively). Similar relationships were observed when classifying anxiety ordinally. In conclusion, higher postpartum pain scores were associated with greater anxiety in the postpartum period.

Perinatal Anxiety among Women during the COVID-19 Pandemic-A Cross-Sectional Study

INTRODUCTION

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way prenatal education and obstetric care are provided. Pandemic-related anxiety, restrictions, limitations in perinatal care, and the inability to be accompanied by a loved one can have negative psychological consequences for future parents and their child. The aim of this study was to analyze the determinants and assess the anxiety of pregnant women in individual trimesters, as well as to learn about the sources of support and medical personnel proceeding methods.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This research was conducted as a diagnostic survey, using the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), Childbirth Anxiety Questionnaire (CAQ), and a standardized interview questionnaire, on 534 pregnant women in Poland. Resultsand Conclusions: The pregnant women, regardless of the trimester of pregnancy, are characterized by: increased anxiety level influenced by the current epidemiological situation, psychophysical condition, previous maternal experiences, participation in classes preparing for childbirth, organization of perinatal care, their relationship with a partner, and the presence of a loved one during childbirth. A negative correlation was shown between the level of childbirth anxiety and maternal experience, as well as the support of a doctor and midwife.