Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 10, 2026

Using a Murine Model of Psychosocial Stress in Pregnancy as a Translationally Relevant Paradigm for Psychiatric Disorders in Mothers and Infants
Published on: June 13, 2021
The relationship between perceived stress and health-promoting behaviors in high-risk pregnancy
Mary Ann Stark1, Renee L Brinkley
1Bronson School of Nursing, Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo 49008, USA. mary.stark@wmich.edu
Objective:
The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between maternal perceived stress and health-promoting self-care behaviors in women experiencing high-risk pregnancies.
Design:
Descriptive correlational.
Sample:
Women (N=69) who had a complication in pregnancy that required referral to a perinatologist at a tertiary care center and ere in the third trimester of pregnancy.
Measures:
The Perceived Stress Scale is a 14-item scale measuring the extent to which one appraises life situations as stressful. Health-Promoting Lifestyle Profile II is a 52-item scale from which scores for an overall health promotion scale and 6 subscales (health responsibility, physical activity, nutrition, spiritual growth, interpersonal relations, and stress management) are calculated.
Results:
There was a significant and negative relationship between perceived stress and health-promoting lifestyle. The relationships between perceived stress and spiritual growth, interpersonal relations, and stress management were significant and negative.
Conclusions:
During a high-risk pregnancy, women who engage in more health-promoting behaviors may experience less stress; however, the causal relationship between stress and health promotion is not known. Nurses can offer stress management techniques and health-promoting self-care during this stressful time to encourage health in mother and neonate.
Related Concept Videos
Stress Prevention and Stress Management Techniques IV
Stress Prevention and Stress Management Techniques I
Conscientiousness
Conscientious individuals tend to be organized, responsible, and disciplined. They prioritize completing tasks and following structured routines,...
Introduction to Stress and Lifestyle
Stress Prevention and Stress Management Techniques VI
Motivation and Self-Determination
Motivation, the driving force behind behavior, plays a pivotal role at every stage of the change process. The research...
Psychoneuroimmunology: Cardiovascular Disease
A key area of focus in PNI is the relationship between stress and coronary...
Psychological Responses to Stress