Anxiety in Pregnant Women During Coronavirus (Covid-19) Pandemic in East Java, Indonesia

Abstract

The 2019 coronavirus pandemic has been recognized as a trigger for anxiety, especially in pregnant women. Pregnant women are among those with a high-risk for contracting coronavirus, not only for themselves but also for the unborn child. Continuous information is needed for pregnant women to avoid anxiety because anxiety will result in complications for both mother and child, such as low birth weight baby and postpartum psychological disorder. The purpose of this study was to identify the prevalence of anxiety in pregnant women during the Coronavirus pandemic in Madura, East Java, Indonesia. This study was a cross-sectional descriptive study conducted from April 13 to May 8, 2020. Data were collected using a Google form distributed to all pregnant women in the Madura Region based on the list of pregnant women from the midwives in each city in this region. Seventy pregnant women returned the completed form, and data were analyzed using frequency tables and percentages. Results showed that 31.4% of pregnant women experienced very severe anxiety, 12.9% experienced severe anxiety, and the remainings did not experience anxiety. In conclusion, the coronavirus pandemic indeed increases anxiety in pregnant women which will need to be addressed to avoid negative impacts on the mother and unborn child. Counseling is needed to reduce anxiety by asking the women to stay at home, wash their hands, wear masks, eat nutritious food, have their pregnancy checked, perform exercise for pregnant women at home, and seek for help when facing emergencies.