Fear of COVID-19, Stress, Fear of Childbirth, Hardiness and Life Satisfaction in Polish Pregnant Women During the Pandemic.

Introduction: Pregnancy is a period of many challenges and changes that women face. These challenges include being pregnant during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as preparing for childbirth. Personal resources, such as hardiness, may help to adapt to these difficult life events. Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between fear of COVID-19, stress, fear of childbirth, hardiness, and life satisfaction in pregnant women and identify two predictors, fear of childbirth and life satisfaction, in pregnant women during the pandemic. Method: This study involved 247 pregnant women aged 18 to 39. Five tools were used: the Labour Anxiety Questionnaire (KLP II), the Health-Related Hardiness Scale (HRHS), the Pandemic-Related Pregnancy Stress Scale (PREPS), the Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS), and the Fear of COVID-19 Questionnaire (FOC-6). Results: Significant positive correlations were observed between fear of COVID-19 and perinatal infection stress (r = 0.74, p < 0.001), preparedness stress (r = 0.51, p < 0.001), and fear of childbirth (r = 0.32, p < 0.001). Perinatal infection stress was positively associated with preparedness stress (r = 0.53, p < 0.001) and fear of childbirth (r = 0.33, p < 0.001). Preparedness stress was positively correlated with fear of childbirth (r = 0.47, p < 0.001). Fear of childbirth was negatively correlated with hardiness (r = -0.22, p < 0.001) and life satisfaction (r = -0.29, p < 0.001). The predictors of fear of childbirth are preparedness stress associated with the organization of childbirth (β = 0.38, t = 5.60, p < 0.001) and hardiness (β = -0.16, t = -2.84, p = 0.00, p < 0.01), while the predictor of satisfaction with life is fear of childbirth (β = -0.31, t = -4.28, p = 0.00, p < 0.001). Conclusions: Epidemics of infectious diseases may have a negative emotional impact on pregnant women, causing fear and stress and contributing to an increased level of fear of childbirth, which can lead to complications for the health of the mother and child. Therefore, it is particularly important to support women preparing for childbirth during subsequent pandemics or other crisis situations. Personal resources, such as hardiness, are important for experiencing fear of childbirth, which is why pregnant women who experience increased fear and stress should have their resources strengthened.