Do practices, self-esteem, and social support affect maternal-fetal attachment in high-risk pregnant women? A cross-sectional survey

Abstract

Purpose The incidence of high-risk pregnancies is increasing in Korea as the birth age increases due to late marriage. Maternal-fetal attachment is an important factor that affects children even after childbirth, but it is difficult for high-risk pregnant women to form maternal-fetal attachment. The current study aimed to explore whether taegyo practice (i.e., pregnant women’s efforts for fetal good growth and development), self-esteem, and social support influenced the degree of maternal-fetal attachment in women with high-risk pregnancies. Methods The participants included 226 pregnant Korean women at ≥20 gestational weeks, hospitalized with 15 high-risk pregnancy conditions as defined by the Ministry of Health and Welfare. Recruitment via convenience sampling was done at four sites in Busan, Korea. Surveys were distributed and collected from February 1 to 28, 2022. Data analysis was conducted using descriptive statistics, the t-test, one-factor analysis of variance, Pearson correlation coefficients, and hierarchical multiple regression. Results On average, participants were 33.97±4.23 years of age and at 31.65±6.23 gestational weeks. Preterm labor (35.4%) and gestational diabetes (21.0%) were the most common high-risk conditions. Maternal-fetal attachment was positively correlated with taegyo practice (r=.70, p<.001), self-esteem (r=.53, p<.001), and social support (r=.53, p<.001), all with statistical significance. Taegyo practice (β=.50, p<.001) and social support (β=.17, p=.030) explained 53% of variance in maternal-fetal attachment in women with high-risk pregnancies. Conclusion Nurses caring for women with high-risk pregnancies during hospitalization can use these findings by promoting taegyo practice and enhancing social support to increase maternal-fetal attachment.

Keywords

• high-risk pregnancy
• maternal-fetal relations
• self concept
• social support