The role of psychological self-care on worry of vaccination against COVID-19 in Iranian pregnant women: A cross-sectional study

Background and aims: Although previous studies have reported some psychological factors to prevent the worry of vaccination against COVID-19 in pregnant women, the role of psychological self-care is unclear. The present study aimed to investigate the role of psychological self-care in pregnant women on the depressive symptoms, psychological distress, and worry of vaccination against COVID-19.

Methods: The present cross-sectional study was conducted during the peak of the Delta variant of COVID-19 in Babol city (North, Iran) from August to November 2021. Two hundred pregnant women referring to three prenatal clinics completed five questionnaires including; demographic characteristics, Edinburgh postnatal depression scale, psychological self-care, brief symptom inventory 18, corona disease anxiety scale, and acceptance of vaccination-3 inventory.

Results: Pregnant women were in relatively good condition based on psychological self-care but were not significantly associated with demographic characteristics, such as age, gestational age, educational background, pregnancy, and risk of parity. It was psychological self-care of pregnant women which negatively predicted the depressive symptoms (β = -0.311, p < 0.001), anxiety symptoms (β = -0.269, p < 0.001), psychological distress (β = -0.269, p < 0.001), and worry of vaccination against COVID-19 (β = -0.214, p < 0.001).

Conclusion: Women's psychological self-care plays a protective role against the depressive symptoms, anxiety symptoms, psychological distress, and worry of vaccination against COVID-19 during pregnancy. Clinicians need to pay more attention to the role of psychological self-care as an important factor in preventing the symptoms of anxiety and depression during regular pregnancy visits.