J R Mann1, R E McKeown, J Bacon, R Vesselinov, F Bush. 1. Department of Family and Preventive Medicine, University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Columbia, South Carolina, USA. joshua.mann@sc.edu
Abstract
INTRODUCTION: We investigated the association between religiosity, spirituality, and anxiety in pregnant women, taking into account potential confounders. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From September 2005 through March 2006, pregnant women in three obstetrics practices in the American South were included in a cross-sectional study. The anxiety subscale of the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) was used to measure anxiety. RESULTS: Of the 344 participating women, 23 screened positive for moderate to severe anxiety (HADS [anxiety] score greater than 10). Overall religiosity or spirituality (odds ratio [OR], 0.53; p=0.006) and social support (OR, 0.42; p<0.0001) were significantly associated with significantly lower odds of a positive anxiety screen. Among the specific measures of religiosity or spirituality, self-rated religiosity, self-rated spirituality, and participation in nonorganizational religious activities were significantly associated with lower odds of moderate to severe anxiety symptoms. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS: Religiosity and spirituality are associated with reduced anxiety in pregnant women. Additional study is needed to evaluate whether the association is causal.
INTRODUCTION: We investigated the association between religiosity, spirituality, and anxiety in pregnant women, taking into account potential confounders. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From September 2005 through March 2006, pregnant women in three obstetrics practices in the American South were included in a cross-sectional study. The anxiety subscale of the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) was used to measure anxiety. RESULTS: Of the 344 participating women, 23 screened positive for moderate to severe anxiety (HADS [anxiety] score greater than 10). Overall religiosity or spirituality (odds ratio [OR], 0.53; p=0.006) and social support (OR, 0.42; p<0.0001) were significantly associated with significantly lower odds of a positive anxiety screen. Among the specific measures of religiosity or spirituality, self-rated religiosity, self-rated spirituality, and participation in nonorganizational religious activities were significantly associated with lower odds of moderate to severe anxiety symptoms. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS: Religiosity and spirituality are associated with reduced anxiety in pregnant women. Additional study is needed to evaluate whether the association is causal.
Authors: Jonathan Mathias Lassiter; Jared K O'Garro-Moore; Kainaat Anwar; Stacy W Smallwood; Inger E Burnett-Zeigler; Lara Stepleman; K Marie Sizemore; Christian Grov; H Jonathon Rendina Journal: Anxiety Stress Coping Date: 2022-02-03