Level of Knowledge and Awareness of Pregnant Women about the Coronavirus Pandemic (COVID-19): An Assessment from a Developing Country

Abstract

Pregnant women may experience psychological difficulties during the pregnancy experience. Being pregnant during the Covid-19 pandemic process carries pregnancy experiences to a different dimension. Pregnancy is among the vulnerable groups against respiratory tract infections. Health systems support services should be provided to women of reproductive age and pregnant women during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aims to determine the information needs of pregnant women during the COVID-19 epidemic and to contribute to increasing the quality of health care services to be provided.The sample of this study consisted of 254 pregnant from Trakya University Medical Faculty Obstetrics Clinic in Turkey. The study was conducted from December 2019 to October 2021. Two scales were used in our study. Participants were first evaluated with a personal information form. The scales we used in our study, Perceived Stress Scale-10 (PSS-10), Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) were used.In our study; concerns of pregnant women for their own health, their unborn baby (children) and the postpartum period were significantly higher during the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, the COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated the need for optimal community use of maternal and child health services. As the time of birth approached, the feeling of pregnant women was increasing.Developing countries may be the weakest part of the chain to stop the spread of current and future epidemics.It is necessary to carry out a well-planned, high-quality and structured training program in order to increase the level of social awareness and contribute to better process management in pregnant women.