The Relationship between Perceived Spousal Support in Pregnancy and Prenatal Attachment, in Turkey

Abstract

Background & aim: Pregnancy is a special period that brings various changes to mothers and fathers, who make an effort to adapt to pregnancy. Spousal support encourages sharing emotions during pregnancy and strengthening parental roles. This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between perceived spousal support in pregnancy and prenatal attachment.Methods: This correlational study was conducted with 323 pregnant women who applied to Osmaniye Public Hospital, Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics between October 2021 and February 2022. The Demographic Information form, the Perception of Spousal Support in Pregnancy Scale (PSSPS), and the Prenatal Attachment Inventory (PAI) were used to collect data. Data were analyzed using SPSS software (version 25) applying the Kruskal-Wallis test, Mann-Whitney U test, Spearman's correlation analysis, and descriptive statistics.Results: Based on the results, pregnant women who received the most support from their spouses during pregnancy had a substantially higher median PSSPS total score than those who received support from other individuals (mother, sister, and spouse's mother) (P<0.05). The level of prenatal attachment increased as spousal support increased (r=0.424, P<0.001). Conclusion: Perceived spousal support of pregnant women is associated with prenatal attachment. As a result, nurses and midwives must assess the support perceived by pregnant women's spouses in the antenatal period, as well as the level of maternal-fetal attachment in healthy pregnancy, childbirth, and the postpartum period.

Keywords

• pregnant women
• pregnancy
• perceived social support spouses
• nursing