Stress and coping among mothers of twins in rural southwestern Nigeria.

High rates of twinning have been reported in Africa. This study sought to learn whether mothers of twins experience different stress levels than those who have only singletons. Both twin mothers (101) and singleton mothers (101) were interviewed. Using a scale of 15 stressors the researchers found that the mean stress score was significantly higher for twin mothers than singleton mothers. Higher stress scores were also associated with parity and perceptions of problems in caring for children and inversely related to perceived levels of social support. Confronting stressors or simply accepting them were the two main ways that mothers coped with their problems.