Experiences, concerns, and needs of pregnant and postpartum women during the Covid-19 pandemic in Cyprus: a cross-sectional study
Abstract Background The current COVID-19 pandemic is a unique stressor with potentially challenging and negative consequences on the experiences of pregnant and postpartum women. International literature highlights the pandemic’s negative impact on women’s perinatal experiences. This is the first st...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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BMC
2022-09-01
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| Series: | BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12884-022-05017-y |
| _version_ | 1818064654024310784 |
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| author | Eleni Hadjigeorgiou Paris Vogazianos Maria-Dolores Christofi Emma Motrico Sara Domínguez-Salas Ana R. Mesquita Andri Christoforou |
| author_facet | Eleni Hadjigeorgiou Paris Vogazianos Maria-Dolores Christofi Emma Motrico Sara Domínguez-Salas Ana R. Mesquita Andri Christoforou |
| author_sort | Eleni Hadjigeorgiou |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background The current COVID-19 pandemic is a unique stressor with potentially challenging and negative consequences on the experiences of pregnant and postpartum women. International literature highlights the pandemic’s negative impact on women’s perinatal experiences. This is the first study in the scientific literature reporting on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, on the perinatal experiences of a large sample of women living in Cyprus. Aim To examine the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the experiences, concerns and needs of pregnant and postpartum women in Cyprus. Method The cross-sectional study was conducted from July 2020 to January 2021. A total of 695 women, 355 pregnant and 340 postpartum women (with infants up to 6 months of age), residing in Cyprus were surveyed. Results The great majority of the participants (80.9%) perceived the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on their life as negative. The greatest sources of stress were identified and quantified for their impact on the participants. Our findings indicate that 74.1% of the pregnant women were concerned about changes due to COVID-19 measures impacting the presence of their family at the time of delivery, 57.2% about their newborn’s health, and 43.1% about changes related to perinatal care. Postpartum women’s concerns were mainly related to the welfare and health of their child (70.3%), whilst half of them (49.1%) expressed concerns about how they were going to care for their baby because of pandemic-related changes. Qualitative data revealed emerging themes as the basis of the pregnant and postpartum women’s concerns and needs. Conclusions The COVID-19 pandemic and the associated imposed measures and restrictions had adverse effects on pregnant and postpartum women’s perinatal experiences in Cyprus. The women’s concerns emphasized the need for the development of specialized, evidenced-based support systems which are essential particularly in pandemic-like situations, when pregnant and postpartum women are more vulnerable to isolation. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-10T14:39:26Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-b0cf92f7aa074a838768757337bfe5f6 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1471-2393 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-10T14:39:26Z |
| publishDate | 2022-09-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth |
| spelling | doaj.art-b0cf92f7aa074a838768757337bfe5f62022-12-22T01:44:44ZengBMCBMC Pregnancy and Childbirth1471-23932022-09-0122111310.1186/s12884-022-05017-yExperiences, concerns, and needs of pregnant and postpartum women during the Covid-19 pandemic in Cyprus: a cross-sectional studyEleni Hadjigeorgiou0Paris Vogazianos1Maria-Dolores Christofi2Emma Motrico3Sara Domínguez-Salas4Ana R. Mesquita5Andri Christoforou6Nursing Department, School of Health Sciences, Cyprus University of TechnologyDepartment of Social and Behavioral Sciences, School of Humanities, Social and Education Sciences, European University CyprusNursing Department, School of Health Sciences, Cyprus University of TechnologyPsychology Department, Universidad Loyola AndaluciaPsychology Department, Universidad Loyola AndaluciaSchool of Psychology, University of Minho, Campus de GualtarDepartment of Social and Behavioral Sciences, School of Humanities, Social and Education Sciences, European University CyprusAbstract Background The current COVID-19 pandemic is a unique stressor with potentially challenging and negative consequences on the experiences of pregnant and postpartum women. International literature highlights the pandemic’s negative impact on women’s perinatal experiences. This is the first study in the scientific literature reporting on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, on the perinatal experiences of a large sample of women living in Cyprus. Aim To examine the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the experiences, concerns and needs of pregnant and postpartum women in Cyprus. Method The cross-sectional study was conducted from July 2020 to January 2021. A total of 695 women, 355 pregnant and 340 postpartum women (with infants up to 6 months of age), residing in Cyprus were surveyed. Results The great majority of the participants (80.9%) perceived the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on their life as negative. The greatest sources of stress were identified and quantified for their impact on the participants. Our findings indicate that 74.1% of the pregnant women were concerned about changes due to COVID-19 measures impacting the presence of their family at the time of delivery, 57.2% about their newborn’s health, and 43.1% about changes related to perinatal care. Postpartum women’s concerns were mainly related to the welfare and health of their child (70.3%), whilst half of them (49.1%) expressed concerns about how they were going to care for their baby because of pandemic-related changes. Qualitative data revealed emerging themes as the basis of the pregnant and postpartum women’s concerns and needs. Conclusions The COVID-19 pandemic and the associated imposed measures and restrictions had adverse effects on pregnant and postpartum women’s perinatal experiences in Cyprus. The women’s concerns emphasized the need for the development of specialized, evidenced-based support systems which are essential particularly in pandemic-like situations, when pregnant and postpartum women are more vulnerable to isolation.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12884-022-05017-yCOVID-19PerinatalPregnantPostpartumDescriptive survey study |
| spellingShingle | Eleni Hadjigeorgiou Paris Vogazianos Maria-Dolores Christofi Emma Motrico Sara Domínguez-Salas Ana R. Mesquita Andri Christoforou Experiences, concerns, and needs of pregnant and postpartum women during the Covid-19 pandemic in Cyprus: a cross-sectional study BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth COVID-19 Perinatal Pregnant Postpartum Descriptive survey study |
| title | Experiences, concerns, and needs of pregnant and postpartum women during the Covid-19 pandemic in Cyprus: a cross-sectional study |
| title_full | Experiences, concerns, and needs of pregnant and postpartum women during the Covid-19 pandemic in Cyprus: a cross-sectional study |
| title_fullStr | Experiences, concerns, and needs of pregnant and postpartum women during the Covid-19 pandemic in Cyprus: a cross-sectional study |
| title_full_unstemmed | Experiences, concerns, and needs of pregnant and postpartum women during the Covid-19 pandemic in Cyprus: a cross-sectional study |
| title_short | Experiences, concerns, and needs of pregnant and postpartum women during the Covid-19 pandemic in Cyprus: a cross-sectional study |
| title_sort | experiences concerns and needs of pregnant and postpartum women during the covid 19 pandemic in cyprus a cross sectional study |
| topic | COVID-19 Perinatal Pregnant Postpartum Descriptive survey study |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12884-022-05017-y |
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