Determinants of distress levels in high-risk pregnant women – cross-sectional study

Introduction and aim. Global and national care recommendations indicate that women with high-risk pregnancies should receive personalized and qualified care during this period. This study was conducted to determine the distress levels in high-risk pregnant women and affecting factors. Material and methods. The cross-sectional this study was conducted with total of 416 high-risk pregnant women who met the inclusion criteria in the obstetrics clinic of a training and research hospital. The study data were collected with data collection form and “Tilburg Pregnancy Distress Scale (TPDS).” Results. The mean TPDS total score of high-risk pregnant women was 18.25±6.85. It was found that planning pregnancy, gravida, and diagnosis of gestational hypertension, systemic diseases, and gestational diabetes in the present pregnancy was associated with pregnancy-specific distress (p<0.05; β=0.291, β=0.158, β=0.272, β=0.137, β=0.116, respectively). Conclusion. It is advised that health professionals assess the distress levels of high-risk pregnant women and give personalized care during prenatal period.