Medical and social risk factors for the development of anxiety in pre-pregnant patients

Aim. The study of medical and social risk factors for the development of anxiety in pre-pregnant women. Materials and methods. The study included 200 primigravid patients of reproductive age (18–35 years) at 36–37 weeks of gestation. The first group consisted of 100 women with elevated levels of state and trait anxiety, while the second group included 100 women with low levels of state and trait anxiety. The levels of state and trait anxiety were assessed using the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) by C. D. Spielberger and Yu. L. Khanin. A high level of anxiety was defined as a score of 31 points or higher on the STAI scale, while a low level was defined as a score below 31 points. Results. The analysis showed that women in group 1 had significantly higher levels of state and trait anxiety compared with the control group (51.42 ± 14.78 and 37.42 ± 4.09 vs. 21.75 ± 7.31 and 18.67 ± 3.05 points, respectively; p 0.05). In this group, negative (54 %) and neutral (39 % vs. 13 %) reactions to pregnancy, as well as unplanned pregnancies (67 % vs. 24 %), were more frequently reported. In addition, in this group, the socio-medical analysis revealed a higher prevalence of higher education (66 % vs. 52 %), employment (63 % vs. 49 %), unsatisfactory family relationships (34 % vs. 6 %), and low income (58 % vs. 38 %). Correlation analysis confirmed a strong positive association between high anxiety levels and higher education, moderate associations between high anxiety levels and employment and low income, and negative correlations between high anxiety levels and unemployment and satisfactory family relationships. Conclusion. The study demonstrated that a high level of state and trait anxiety in primigravid women is statistically significantly associated with several medico-social factors. Strong positive correlations were identified between anxiety and higher education, employment, and low socioeconomic status, whereas a negative correlation was found with satisfactory family relationships. These findings suggest that the combination of occupational workload and socioeconomic instability contributes to the development of psycho-emotional stress during pregnancy. Conversely, a supportive family environment may serve a protective role, reducing anxiety levels. The results highlight the need for a comprehensive assessment of the social conditions of pregnant women and the development of psychoprophylactic and social support programs for women at risk in order to improve perinatal outcomes and overall quality of life.