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Published on: January 12, 2018
Religiosity, spirituality and antenatal anxiety in Southern U.S. women
J R Mann1, R E McKeown, J Bacon
1Department of Family and Preventive Medicine, University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Columbia, South Carolina, USA. joshua.mann@sc.edu
Introduction:
We investigated the association between religiosity, spirituality, and anxiety in pregnant women, taking into account potential confounders.
Materials And Methods:
From September 2005 through March 2006, pregnant women in three obstetrics practices in the American South were included in a cross-sectional study. The anxiety subscale of the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) was used to measure anxiety.
Results:
Of the 344 participating women, 23 screened positive for moderate to severe anxiety (HADS [anxiety] score greater than 10). Overall religiosity or spirituality (odds ratio [OR], 0.53; p=0.006) and social support (OR, 0.42; p<0.0001) were significantly associated with significantly lower odds of a positive anxiety screen. Among the specific measures of religiosity or spirituality, self-rated religiosity, self-rated spirituality, and participation in nonorganizational religious activities were significantly associated with lower odds of moderate to severe anxiety symptoms.
Discussion And Conclusions:
Religiosity and spirituality are associated with reduced anxiety in pregnant women. Additional study is needed to evaluate whether the association is causal.
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