Perceived Stress and Associated Factors Among Pregnant Women Attending Antenatal Care in Urban Thailand

BACKGROUND: Perceived stress during pregnancy is associated with adverse obstetric outcomes. Antenatal perceived stress is still unaware and under-diagnosed during routine antenatal care. There has not yet been a study of prevalence and associated factors among pregnant women living in urban areas in Thailand. Understanding antenatal perceived stress is important to improve maternal and neonatal outcomes. OBJECTIVE: To identify the prevalence, associated factors, and predictive factors of perceived stress in pregnant women living in an urban area. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted from December 1, 2019 to February 29, 2020 among pregnant women attending antenatal care at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Faculty of Medicine Vajira Hospital, Bangkok, Thailand. The participants were interviewed using a structured questionnaire which included demographic data, obstetric data, serious life event data, and a Thai language version of the 10-item Perceived Stress Scale (T-PSS-10) to assess perceived stress symptoms. RESULTS: Of a total 403 pregnant women, the prevalence of perceived stress symptoms in antenatal pregnant women was 23.6%. Perceived stress symptoms were significantly associated with divorce (p=0.001), separation from spouse (p=0.005), physical or psychological trauma from family (p=0.005), marital conflict (p<0.001), and family conflict (p<0.001). Results from multiple logistic regression found that significant predictive factors for perceived stress symptoms in pregnant women were marital conflict (AOR 3.10, 95% CI 1.74–5.52, p<0.001) and family conflict (AOR 3.24, 95% CI 1.59–6.60, p=0.001). CONCLUSION: This study demonstrated that the prevalence of perceived stress symptoms in pregnant women living in an urban area in Thailand was 23.6%. Perceived stress symptoms were significantly associated with divorce, separation from spouse, physical or psychological trauma from family, marital conflict, and family conflict. Predictive factors for perceived stress symptoms were marital conflict and family conflict.