Loneliness, social support and stress among Black pregnant women during the COVID-19 pandemic: a mixed methods approach.
4 affiliations
- 1University of Central Florida, College of Nursing, 6825 Lake Nona Blvd, Suite 215C, Orlando, FL, 32827, USA. [email protected].
- 2Dept. of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Michigan State University, 909 Wilson Rd, Room B601, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA.
- 3University of Central Florida, College of Nursing, 6825 Lake Nona Blvd, Suite 215C, Orlando, FL, 32827, USA.
- 4Department of Nursing Research and Evidence Based Practice, 999 N 92nd St, Suite 140, Milwaukee, WI, 53226, USA.
Abstract
Background
The lockdowns implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic may have led to increases in isolation, loneliness and psychological distress among pregnant women. We explored Black pregnant women's experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic.Methods
We conducted a convergent mixed methods pilot study with women who were enrolled in the Biosocial Impact on Black Births (BIBB) study and were pregnant during the COVID-19 pandemic. The BIBB study is a prospective study that examines the role of maternal factors on preterm birth among Black women. Women were enrolled in the BIBB study if they self-identified as Black or African American, were 18-45 years old, had singleton pregnancies, and were 8-29 weeks gestation. A sample of 16 women who participated in the BIBB study and were still pregnant in May-June 2020 completed an online survey and participated in phone qualitative interviews about their experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic.Results
The participants were 21-39 years of age and 29-38 weeks gestation. About 50% of the participants described feelings of loneliness or isolation either on the survey or during the interview. More than half of the participants reported feelings of seclusion from staying at home. Feeling secluded may have led some women to feelings of increased stress due to their inability to have alone time or to leave the house for activities that relieved stress. Participants described the impact of social distancing on the emotional or affective aspect of social support. Nearly all participants described some degree of stress or anxiety during the pandemic.Conclusion
These results suggest that a markedly high proportion of Black pregnant women experienced loneliness, isolation and stress during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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BibTeX
@article{giurgescu2026loneliness,
title = {{Loneliness, social support and stress among Black pregnant women during the COVID-19 pandemic: a mixed methods approach.}},
author = {Carmen Giurgescu and Dawn P Misra and Lindsey Esparza and Amanda de la Serna and Karen Kavanaugh},
journal = {BMC pregnancy and childbirth},
year = {2026},
month = aug,
doi = {10.1186/s12884-026-09766-y},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42972299},
note = {CC BY-NC-ND},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Loneliness, social support and stress among Black pregnant women during the COVID-19 pandemic: a mixed methods approach.
AU - Carmen Giurgescu
AU - Dawn P Misra
AU - Lindsey Esparza
AU - Amanda de la Serna
AU - Karen Kavanaugh
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/08/06
JO - BMC pregnancy and childbirth
DO - 10.1186/s12884-026-09766-y
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42972299
AB - Background The lockdowns implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic may have led to increases in isolation, loneliness and psychological distress among pregnant women. We explored Black pregnant women's experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic.Methods We conducted a convergent mixed methods pilot study with women who were enrolled in the Biosocial Impact on Black Births (BIBB) study and were pregnant during the COVID-19 pandemic. The BIBB study is a prospective study that examines the role of maternal factors on preterm birth among Black women. Women were enrolled in the BIBB study if they self-identified as Black or African American, were 18-45 years old, had singleton pregnancies, and were 8-29 weeks gestation. A sample of 16 women who participated in the BIBB study and were still pregnant in May-June 2020 completed an online survey and participated in phone qualitative interviews about their experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic.Results The participants were 21-39 years of age and 29-38 weeks gestation. About 50% of the participants described feelings of loneliness or isolation either on the survey or during the interview. More than half of the participants reported feelings of seclusion from staying at home. Feeling secluded may have led some women to feelings of increased stress due to their inability to have alone time or to leave the house for activities that relieved stress. Participants described the impact of social distancing on the emotional or affective aspect of social support. Nearly all participants described some degree of stress or anxiety during the pandemic.Conclusion These results suggest that a markedly high proportion of Black pregnant women experienced loneliness, isolation and stress during the COVID-19 pandemic.
SN - 1471-2393
ER -