TY - JOUR
T1 - The psychological burden of routine prenatal ultrasound on women's state anxiety across the three trimesters of pregnancy
AU - Businelli, Caterina
AU - Bembich, Stefano
AU - Vecchiet, Cristina
AU - Cortivo, Caterina
AU - Norcio, Alessia
AU - Risso, Maria Francesco
AU - Quadrifoglio, Mariachiara
AU - Stampalija, Tamara
N1 - Funding Information:
The study was funded by the I talian Ministry of Health. The funder had no role in study design; in the collection, analysis and interpretation of data; in the writing of the report; and in the decision to submit the article for publication.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2020 Elsevier B.V.
Copyright:
Copyright 2020 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.
PY - 2021/1
Y1 - 2021/1
N2 - Objective: Although obstetric ultrasound examination has recognizable clinical and psychological benefits, it also involves some psychological burdens, mainly in terms of the woman's state anxiety, the level of which can change during pregnancy. This research aimed to study the influence of routine ultrasound examination on the woman's state anxiety and its relation with her personality background in the three trimesters of pregnancy. Study design: This work was a prospective interventional study. Women who underwent routine-screening ultrasound examinations in the first, second, or third trimester of pregnancy were recruited. The state anxiety level was assessed using the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory - subscale S (S-Anxiety), administered immediately before and after the exams. More stable personality characteristics were evaluated before ultrasound, assessing trait anxiety by State-Trait Anxiety Inventory - subscale T (T-Anxiety) and psychological coping by Coping Orientations to Problem Experienced (COPE). The S-Anxiety scores, collected immediately before and after the exams, were compared by two-tailed paired t-test. Moreover, S-Anxiety scores collected in each one of the three-trimester groups immediately before and after the exams were compared by one-way between groups ANOVA. Relations among S-Anxiety scores with more stable aspects of personality (T-Anxiety and COPE scores) were also studied, by correlation analysis. Results: A total of 285 women were recruited. In all trimesters, S-Anxiety scores decreased significantly after the exam (P < 0.001), with a more relevant reduction in women with higher T-Anxiety scores (P < 0.001). A gradual decrease in S-Anxiety scores before the examination was seen across the three trimesters, with significantly higher scores in the first trimester (P = 0.016). Before ultrasound, S-Anxiety score resulted positively correlated with avoidance coping strategies (P < 0.001), while it was inversely related to active coping style (P < 0.001) and positive aptitude (P < 0.001). Conclusions: The psychological burden of prenatal ultrasound in the different trimesters of pregnancy was studied. Clinicians should be sensitive to women's state anxiety during prenatal routine-screening ultrasound examination, using a personalized approach. Particular attention should be paid to the psychological burden associated with ultrasound evaluation of the first trimester, when the level of the anxiety state is higher.
AB - Objective: Although obstetric ultrasound examination has recognizable clinical and psychological benefits, it also involves some psychological burdens, mainly in terms of the woman's state anxiety, the level of which can change during pregnancy. This research aimed to study the influence of routine ultrasound examination on the woman's state anxiety and its relation with her personality background in the three trimesters of pregnancy. Study design: This work was a prospective interventional study. Women who underwent routine-screening ultrasound examinations in the first, second, or third trimester of pregnancy were recruited. The state anxiety level was assessed using the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory - subscale S (S-Anxiety), administered immediately before and after the exams. More stable personality characteristics were evaluated before ultrasound, assessing trait anxiety by State-Trait Anxiety Inventory - subscale T (T-Anxiety) and psychological coping by Coping Orientations to Problem Experienced (COPE). The S-Anxiety scores, collected immediately before and after the exams, were compared by two-tailed paired t-test. Moreover, S-Anxiety scores collected in each one of the three-trimester groups immediately before and after the exams were compared by one-way between groups ANOVA. Relations among S-Anxiety scores with more stable aspects of personality (T-Anxiety and COPE scores) were also studied, by correlation analysis. Results: A total of 285 women were recruited. In all trimesters, S-Anxiety scores decreased significantly after the exam (P < 0.001), with a more relevant reduction in women with higher T-Anxiety scores (P < 0.001). A gradual decrease in S-Anxiety scores before the examination was seen across the three trimesters, with significantly higher scores in the first trimester (P = 0.016). Before ultrasound, S-Anxiety score resulted positively correlated with avoidance coping strategies (P < 0.001), while it was inversely related to active coping style (P < 0.001) and positive aptitude (P < 0.001). Conclusions: The psychological burden of prenatal ultrasound in the different trimesters of pregnancy was studied. Clinicians should be sensitive to women's state anxiety during prenatal routine-screening ultrasound examination, using a personalized approach. Particular attention should be paid to the psychological burden associated with ultrasound evaluation of the first trimester, when the level of the anxiety state is higher.
KW - Pregnancy trimesters
KW - Prenatal ultrasound
KW - STAI
KW - State anxiety
KW - Women experience
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U2 - 10.1016/j.ejogrb.2020.11.065
DO - 10.1016/j.ejogrb.2020.11.065
M3 - Article
C2 - 33259997
AN - SCOPUS:85096848760
VL - 256
SP - 281
EP - 286
JO - European Journal of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Biology
JF - European Journal of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Biology
SN - 0028-2243
ER -