This study (1) assessed the psychometric properties of a pregnancy-related COVID worry scale, (2) explored variations in pregnancy-related COVID worry over the course of the pandemic, and (3) examined associations between pregnancy-related COVID worry and depressive symptom severity, and evaluated sleep disturbance as a mediator.

Data were drawn from an ongoing randomized trial comparing the effectiveness of two enhanced forms of prenatal care. The current analysis includes baseline pre-randomization data collected from participants who enrolled November 2020–November 2021 (n = 201). Participants were pregnant individuals with low income and primarily Latinx.

Our 7-item scale was valid and reliable for assessing pregnancy-related COVID worry. Pregnancy-related COVID worry did not vary significantly by any participant characteristic or pandemic stage. Pregnancy-related COVID worry was significantly associated with depressive symptom severity in multivariate analysis (p = .002). For each unit increase on the 10-point pregnancy-related COVID worry scale, the odds of mild-to-severe depression increased by 16% (odds ratio = 1.16, 95% confidence interval 1.02–1.32, p = .02), holding all other variables constant. Sleep disturbance mediated the pregnancy-related COVID worry-depressive symptom relationship (48% of the total effect mediated).

Worry about how COVID may impact their baby, birth, and postpartum experiences was associated with higher depressive symptom severity, partly through its effect on sleep. These findings suggest that interventions related to improving sleep quality among perinatal populations may reduce depressive symptoms.

ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04154423, “Engaging Mothers & Babies; Reimagining Antenatal Care for Everyone (EMBRACE) Study".

COVID-19

Pregnant

Worry

Sleep disturbance

Depressive symptom severity

© 2022 Published by Elsevier Ltd.