Análisis del estado de salud en las embarazadas y su relación con el apoyo social autopercibido

Resumen

The health of pregnant women is important for the well-being of both the mother and the fetus. Social support during pregnancy has a positive impact on the health of pregnant women. However, there is a lack of research focused on identifying the weaknesses that hinder access to social support and promote equity in the care of pregnant women. The resulting outcomes would have practical applications in the healthcare system and society, as they would contribute to personal health, quality education, gender equality, and the reduction of inequalities. This impact aligns with Sustainable Development Goals 3, 4, 5, and 10. The objective of this research is to (i) describe the health status of pregnant women belonging to the Regional Health Management of El Bierzo, part of the Health Service of Castilla y León (Spain), (ii) analyze its relationship with perceived social support and obstetric-gynecological factors, and (iii) analyze the psychometric properties of the social support questionnaire. The methodology included a quantitative, descriptive, correlational, cross-sectional study with non-probabilistic sampling in the El Bierzo region (León), with 466 participants in the first trimester of pregnancy. Data collection was carried out using the online platform Google Forms®, with information on sociodemographic and obstetric-gynecological characteristics. The tools used were the Perceived Stress Scale, Pregnancy Related Anxiety Questionnaire, Prenatal Distress Questionnaire, General Health Questionnaire, Resilience Scale, and Medical Outcomes Study-Social Support Survey. The ethical protocol of the University of León was applied to conduct this research. The results confirmed a series of negative correlations between self-perceived stress and all dimensions of social support, indicating that greater social support is associated with lower self-perceived stress. Negative correlations were also found between pregnancy related anxiety and different dimensions of social support. Higher levels of social support were correlated with higher levels of resilience. Additionally, negative correlations were found between resilience and self-perceived stress, pregnancy-related anxiety, prenatal concerns, psychological somatic symptoms, insomnia, and depression. As for obstetric-gynecological factors, significant differences were found between primiparous and multiparous women in terms of stress, anxiety, and prenatal concerns. Primiparous women had higher levels of pregnancy-related anxiety and concerns about the future compared to multiparous women. After exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses, the four-dimensional model of the social support questionnaire was found to best fit the study sample. This study concludes that pregnant women in the first trimester have low levels of stress, anxiety, and depression, and high levels of resilience and social support. Furthermore, differences in health status were observed based on obstetric and gynecological factors. Additionally, the social support questionnaire was found to have good psychometric properties for assessing perceived social support in first-trimester pregnant women. Increased resilience and social support are related to better health, while increased concerns and stress are associated with greater health problems. The importance of resilience and social support in the well-being of pregnant women is highlighted. This thesis distinguishes itself through its focus on identifying access to social support during pregnancy, its practical application in the healthcare system and society, its analysis of correlations, and its evaluation of psychometric properties. These contributions enrich the existing knowledge on social support in the health and well-being of pregnant women.