Anxiety among multiparous women in the Al-Qatif sector of KSA: A mixed-method study

Objective: Anxiety disorders are among the leading causes of disability worldwide. Generalised anxiety disorder (GAD) is characterised as a state of excessive anxiety for six months or more, which is difficult to control and is not triggered by a specific situation or stressor. This study aims to assess the relationship between GAD and multiparity.

Method: This was a mixed-method study in which the quantitative phase was conducted by administering a structured questionnaire involving a GAD-7 screening tool. The qualitative phase involved a semi-structured focus group discussion (FGD) to gather participants' opinions regarding multiparity and its impact on life. This study was conducted on 513 participants from 16 primary health care centres (PHCs) in the Al-Qatif region of the KSA. The target population comprised multiparous women of childbearing age. Pregnant and postpartum women were excluded from this study. A two-sample t-test, a chi-square test, and logistic regressions were used to assess the required associations.

Results: Almost 75% of the participants considered themselves to be anxious. The association between GAD and multiparity was not statistically significant. The variables significantly associated with anxiety were found to be marital status, educational level, marital conflict, stressful life events, family member assistance, mothers' health issues, and children's health issues. The qualitative analysis showed that two-thirds of the women identified no relationship between multiparity and anxiety.

Conclusion: There was no significant association between GAD and multiparity. However, through use of multivariable modelling, anxiety was significantly associated with marital conflicts, stressful life events, and educational level.