Psychological Health and Lifestyle Behaviors among Women in Early Pregnancy

<p>Purpose:</p><p>To clarify the psychological health and lifestyle behaviors of women in early pregnancy.</p><p></p><p>Method:</p><p>A questionnaire survey was conducted among 64 women in early pregnancy who obtained maternal and child health handbooks at eight facilities in Takamatsu City.</p><p>The respondents were divided into two groups based on their scores on the Japanese version of the General Health Questionnaire 12-item version (GHQ12). Differences in beliefs about lifestyle behaviors between the two groups were analyzed using χ² or Fisher's exact tests. The Mann-Whitney U test was performed to examine the difference in the number of items improved between the two groups. Kruskal-Wallis and Bonferroni's multiple comparison tests were performed to compare the number of items indicating improvement with the participants' Body Mass Index (BMI) profile.</p><p></p><p>Results:</p><p>"Weight control" was the most common improvement item, followed by "exercise habit," "regular life," and "eating staple food along with main and side dishes."</p><p>A significant relationship was not identified between pre-pregnancy lifestyle behaviors, improvement items, the number of improvement items, and GHQ12 scores. The two GHQ12 groups were significantly different in terms of BMI profile, pregnancy-related concerns, and having a mild health condition. Additionally, pregnant women with obesity had more improvement items compared to those with normal weight. In the free description section, the child&s health was a frequent concern; the other concerns were related to having a mild health condition, work-family life balance, and physical problems.</p><p></p><p>Conclusion:</p><p>The participants' GHQ12 scores were associated with BMI, pregnancy-related concerns, and having a mild health condition. The findings highlight that midwives must consider the pregnant women's concerns, body size, and mild health conditions, which can affect the their psychological health from the early stages of pregnancy, when resolving their individual concerns.</p>