Comparing reproductive intentions before and during the COVID-19 pandemic: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Reproductive behaviors and intentions are affected by several factors, including the COVID-19 pandemic crisis. This study was conducted with the aim of comparing the intention to reproduce and its causes in Iran during the period prior to and during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: This descriptive-comparative study included 425 cisgender women from 6 urban health centers and 10 rural centers in Babol city, Mazandaran province, Iran. Urban and rural health centers were selected using a multi-stage approach with proportional allocation. A questionnaire was used to collect data in relation to individual characteristics and reproductive intentions. RESULTS: Most participants aged between 20 and 29 years had a diploma level of education, were housewives and lived in the city. The intention to reproduce decreased from 11.4% before the pandemic to 5.4% during the pandemic (p = 0.006). The most common reason for wanting to have children prior to the pandemic was not having children (54.2%). During the pandemic, a desire to reach the ideal number of children was the most common reason to want to have children (59.1%), though no statistically significant difference was observed between the two periods (p = 0.303). The most common reason for not wanting to have children in both periods was having enough children already (45.2% before and 40.9% during the pandemic). The reasons for not wanting to have children had a statistically significant difference between the two periods (p < 0.001). Reproductive intentions had a statistically significant relationship with the variables of age (p < 0.001), the education level of both participants (p < 0.001) and spouses (p = 0.006), occupation (p = 0.004), and socio-economic status (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Despite restrictions and lockdowns, the COVID-19 pandemic had a negative impact on people's desire to reproduce in this context. Economic problems caused by the sanctions which increased during the COVID-19 crisis may be one of the reasons for a reduction in people's intentions to become parents. Future research could usefully investigate whether this decrease in the desire to reproduce will lead to significant changes in population level and future birth rates.

Perceived risk of COVID-19 acquisition and maternal mental distress

Background: Pregnant women are a high-risk population for mental health effects during a pandemic. Objective: This study aims to examine the association of perceived risk toward COVID-19 viral infection acquisition and maternal mental distress. Methods: In a cross-sectional study, a total of 392 pregnant women were recruited. Data gathered using the perceived stress scale, State-Trait anxiety inventory, Beck depression inventory, and protective behaviour were assessed. Linear regression analysis was applied in both unadjusted and adjusted models to assess the association between the exposure and outcome variables. Results: In all five unadjusted and adjusted models, the perceived risk of COVID-19 acquisition remained a highly significant predictor for stress, anxiety factor 1 and 2, depression, and protective behaviours (P<0.001). Conclusion: COVID-19 may be an important additional stress source for pregnant women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of British Journal of Midwifery is the property of Mark Allen Holdings Limited and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)