Physical and psychological well-being in working nulliparous women during pregnancy

Abstract

The aim of this prospective study on 170 nulliparous women was to evaluate physical and psychological well-being during pregnancy as reported on the Hopkins Symptom Checklist (HSCL) and the Bradburn Affect Balance Scale, administered at 18 and 34 weeks' gestation. Moreover, for the 133 women in paid employment, variables related to various aspects of well-being were assessed.The HSCL and the Bradburn Scale were evaluated with regard to their factor-structure to measure physical and psychological well-being during pregnancy. Principal component analysis of the HSCL showed three independent factors: a depression, a somatic symptom and an anxiety dimension. The Bradburn Scale was used as a measure of overall psychological well-being; its two independent positive and negative affect sub-scales could not be replicated. Psychological and physical changes accompanying normal pregnancy influenced the response to these scales; the need for cartful evaluation of the use of well-being scales during pregnancy is stre...