The relationship between spousal support during pregnancy, anxiety and quality of life: a cross-sectional study using structural equation modeling analysis
4 affiliations
- 1The Midwifery Department of Health Sciences Faculty, Sakarya University, Serdivan, Esentepe Campus, Sakarya, Türkiye
- 2Department of Midwifery, Institute of Health Sciences, Sakarya University, Sakarya, Türkiye
- 3The Midwifery Department of Health Sciences Faculty, Selcuk University, Selcuklu, Alaeddin Keykubat Campus, Konya, Türkiye
- 4Sakarya University Training and Research Hospital, Sakarya, Türkiye
Abstract
Background: This study aimed to examine the relationships among perceived spousal support, anxiety, and quality of life in pregnant women.
Methods: The study included 346 pregnant women in their second trimester or later who visited the obstetrics and gynecology outpatient clinic at an educational research hospital between August and November 2024. Data were collected based on self-reports using the Pregnancy Information Form, the Perceived Spousal Support Scale in Pregnancy, the Pregnancy-Related Anxiety Scale, and the Short Form-36 (SF-36) Quality of Life Questionnaire. IBM SPSS V29.0 and IBM AMOS V24.0 software were used for data analysis.
Results: In the first structural equation model, higher perceived spousal support was significantly associated with better quality of life, as reflected by the SF-36 latent variable (β = 0.167, p = 0.001), whereas higher pregnancy-related anxiety was significantly associated with poorer quality of life (β=−0.563, p < 0.001). In the second model, higher perceived spousal support was significantly associated with lower pregnancy-related anxiety (β=−0.164, p = 0.002). Furthermore, higher pregnancy-related anxiety was significantly associated with lower scores across all quality-of-life subdomains.
Conclusions: The findings suggest that higher perceived spousal support is associated with lower pregnancy-related anxiety and better quality of life, whereas higher pregnancy-related anxiety is associated with poorer quality of life. These findings highlight the importance of involving spouses in the care provided by midwives during pregnancy. In addition, it may also be recommended to design regulations and action plans at the national level to include mental health screenings in prenatal screenings.
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BibTeX
@article{yavuz2026relationship,
title = {{The relationship between spousal support during pregnancy, anxiety and quality of life: a cross-sectional study using structural equation modeling analysis}},
author = {Şilan Yavuz and Sema Yılmaz and Emin Levent Aksoy},
journal = {BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth},
year = {2026},
month = aug,
doi = {10.1186/s12884-026-09819-2},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1186/s12884-026-09819-2},
note = {CC BY-NC-ND 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - The relationship between spousal support during pregnancy, anxiety and quality of life: a cross-sectional study using structural equation modeling analysis
AU - Şilan Yavuz
AU - Sema Yılmaz
AU - Emin Levent Aksoy
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/08/13
JO - BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth
DO - 10.1186/s12884-026-09819-2
UR - https://doi.org/10.1186/s12884-026-09819-2
AB - Background: This study aimed to examine the relationships among perceived spousal support, anxiety, and quality of life in pregnant women. Methods: The study included 346 pregnant women in their second trimester or later who visited the obstetrics and gynecology outpatient clinic at an educational research hospital between August and November 2024. Data were collected based on self-reports using the Pregnancy Information Form, the Perceived Spousal Support Scale in Pregnancy, the Pregnancy-Related Anxiety Scale, and the Short Form-36 (SF-36) Quality of Life Questionnaire. IBM SPSS V29.0 and IBM AMOS V24.0 software were used for data analysis. Results: In the first structural equation model, higher perceived spousal support was significantly associated with better quality of life, as reflected by the SF-36 latent variable (β = 0.167, p = 0.001), whereas higher pregnancy-related anxiety was significantly associated with poorer quality of life (β=−0.563, p < 0.001). In the second model, higher perceived spousal support was significantly associated with lower pregnancy-related anxiety (β=−0.164, p = 0.002). Furthermore, higher pregnancy-related anxiety was significantly associated with lower scores across all quality-of-life subdomains. Conclusions: The findings suggest that higher perceived spousal support is associated with lower pregnancy-related anxiety and better quality of life, whereas higher pregnancy-related anxiety is associated with poorer quality of life. These findings highlight the importance of involving spouses in the care provided by midwives during pregnancy. In addition, it may also be recommended to design regulations and action plans at the national level to include mental health screenings in prenatal screenings.
SN - 1471-2393
ER -