Optimism during pregnancy and obstetrical outcomes: A systematic review

Area of Science:

• Obstetrics and Gynecology
• Psychology
• Public Health

Background:

• Dispositional optimism is a psychological trait that may influence health outcomes.
• Understanding factors affecting optimism during pregnancy is crucial for maternal and fetal well-being.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the association between dispositional optimism (using the LOT-R) and obstetrical outcomes.
• To identify social characteristics linked to lower dispositional optimism in pregnant women.

Main Methods:

• A systematic review of electronic databases (MEDLINE, EMBASE, Scopus, Web of Sciences, Cochrane) was performed.
• Studies published up to June 2019, using the LOT-R for optimism assessment in pregnancy, were included.
• Included obstetrical outcomes were preterm birth, pre-eclampsia, and small for gestational age.

Main Results:

• Two prospective cohort studies with 3,570 pregnancies were analyzed.
• A trend towards lower preterm birth incidence was observed with higher dispositional optimism (OR 0.76, 95% CI 0.53-1.09).
• No significant differences in pre-eclampsia or small for gestational age were found based on optimism levels. Higher optimism correlated with factors like older maternal age, marriage, higher education, white ethnicity, and lower rates of public assistance and smoking.

Conclusions:

• Limited data exist on the relationship between optimism and obstetrical outcomes.
• Higher dispositional optimism, assessed via LOT-R, is associated with a non-significant reduction in preterm birth risk.