J M Harris1, L Franck2, B Green3, S Michie4. 1. Health Psychology Research Group, UCL, UK. Electronic address: james.m.harris@kcl.ac.uk. 2. Department of Family Health Care Nursing, University of California, San Francisco, USA. 3. Institute of Women׳s Health, UCLH, UK. 4. Department of Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology, UCL, UK.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: a new first-trimester universal antenatal screening test for pre-eclampsia was introduced into two UK hospitals. The aim of this study was to investigate the potential psychological benefits, harms and acceptability of providing pregnant women with formal risk information for pre-eclampsia. DESIGN: cross-sectional interview study. Women were interviewed using a theoretically informed semi-structured schedule and transcripts were analysed thematically using Framework Analysis. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: primigravid women receiving antenatal care at a central London National Health Service Foundation Trust found either high-risk or low-risk for pre-eclampsia. FINDINGS: 15 primigravid women who received high risk (n=10) or low risk (n=5) results of a 12-week pre-eclampsia screening test were interviewed. Two types of coping typologies were evident from the data. The first were 'danger managers' who had an internal sense of control, were focused on the risk that pre-eclampsia presented to them and exhibited information seeking, positive behaviour changes, and cognitive reappraisal coping mechanisms. The second were 'fear managers' who had an external sense of control, were focused on the risk that pre-eclampsia presented to the fetus, and exhibited avoidance coping mechanisms. In addition to these typologies, three universal themes of 'medicalising the pregnancy', 'embracing technology' and 'acceptability' emerged from the data. KEY CONCLUSIONS: there are potential positive and negative unintended consequences following a first-trimester screening test for pre-eclampsia. A positive consequence could be self-instigated behaviour change, whereas a negative consequence could be reduced self-monitoring of fetal movements as the pregnancy develops. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: this study indicates that women with an increased risk of pre-eclampsia would be willing to engage in efforts to reduce their risk of pre-eclampsia, and there is a potential to use this screening test as a basis for improving health more broadly.
OBJECTIVE: a new first-trimester universal antenatal screening test for pre-eclampsia was introduced into two UK hospitals. The aim of this study was to investigate the potential psychological benefits, harms and acceptability of providing pregnant women with formal risk information for pre-eclampsia. DESIGN: cross-sectional interview study. Women were interviewed using a theoretically informed semi-structured schedule and transcripts were analysed thematically using Framework Analysis. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: primigravid women receiving antenatal care at a central London National Health Service Foundation Trust found either high-risk or low-risk for pre-eclampsia. FINDINGS: 15 primigravid women who received high risk (n=10) or low risk (n=5) results of a 12-week pre-eclampsia screening test were interviewed. Two types of coping typologies were evident from the data. The first were 'danger managers' who had an internal sense of control, were focused on the risk that pre-eclampsia presented to them and exhibited information seeking, positive behaviour changes, and cognitive reappraisal coping mechanisms. The second were 'fear managers' who had an external sense of control, were focused on the risk that pre-eclampsia presented to the fetus, and exhibited avoidance coping mechanisms. In addition to these typologies, three universal themes of 'medicalising the pregnancy', 'embracing technology' and 'acceptability' emerged from the data. KEY CONCLUSIONS: there are potential positive and negative unintended consequences following a first-trimester screening test for pre-eclampsia. A positive consequence could be self-instigated behaviour change, whereas a negative consequence could be reduced self-monitoring of fetal movements as the pregnancy develops. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: this study indicates that women with an increased risk of pre-eclampsia would be willing to engage in efforts to reduce their risk of pre-eclampsia, and there is a potential to use this screening test as a basis for improving health more broadly.
Authors: Neeltje M T H Crombag; Marije Lamain-de Ruiter; Anneke Kwee; Peter C J I Schielen; Jozien M Bensing; Gerard H A Visser; Arie Franx; Maria P H Koster Journal: BMC Pregnancy Childbirth Date: 2017-01-07 Impact factor: 3.007
Authors: Lisa Hinton; Katherine L Tucker; Sheila M Greenfield; James A Hodgkinson; Lucy Mackillop; Christine McCourt; Trisha Carver; Carole Crawford; Margaret Glogowska; Louise Locock; Mary Selwood; Kathryn S Taylor; Richard J McManus Journal: BMC Pregnancy Childbirth Date: 2017-12-19 Impact factor: 3.007
Authors: Rebecca Band; Lisa Hinton; Katherine L Tucker; Lucy C Chappell; Carole Crawford; Marloes Franssen; Sheila Greenfield; James Hodgkinson; Christine McCourt; Richard J McManus; Jane Sandall; Mauro Dala Santos; Carmelo Velardo; Lucy Yardley Journal: Pilot Feasibility Stud Date: 2019-12-20