The Influence of Anxiety and Dyadic Adjustment on Maternal–Fetal Attachment in High-Risk Pregnant Women

Abstract

Purpose: This study attempted using a descriptive survey to elucidate the influence of anxiety and dyadic adjustment on maternal–fetal attachment in high-risk pregnant women. Methods: The data used in this study were collected from March 3 rd , 2015, to March 30 th , 2015, and the participants were 118 pregnant women including those undergoing prenatal tests and those admitted to a delivery room in the obstetrics outpatient center of 3 university hospitals located in B, D, and Y after diagnosis with high-risk pregnancy during 20–38 weeks of gestation. Collected data were analyzed using frequency, percentage, mean, standard deviation, t-test, ANOVA, Pearson’s correlation, and stepwise regression analysis using the IBM SPSS 22.0 program. Results: The level of maternal–fetal attachment according to participants’ general and obstetric characteristics showed significant differences in history of childbirth, prenatal tests, and planned pregnancy. The factors that influenced maternal–fetal attachment were history of childbirth, prenatal tests, anxiety, and dyadic adjustment. Lower anxiety and high dyadic adjustment of high-risk pregnant women led to a high maternal–fetal attachment. Among them, anxiety was the factor with the greatest impact, explaining 20.5%. Conclusion: This study presents the need for development and application of prenatal nursing intervention to enhance maternal–fetal attachment by lowering anxiety through prenatal care in high-risk pregnant women and improving dyadic adjustment.