The structure and correlates of the 20-item Maternal-Fetal Attachment Scale in a population-based sample of Hungarian expectant women.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed at analysing the structure and reliability of the modified, 20-item Hungarian version of the Maternal-Fetal Attachment Scale (MFAS-HU-20), and to investigate its associations with certain demographic, pregnancy-related and psychosocial characteristics. DESIGN: A socio-demographically diverse sample of Hungarian women completed interviews in middle or late pregnancy, as part of the countrywide Cohort '18 Growing Up in Hungary study. SETTING: Data collection was carried out by local health visitors either at the family home or at the health visitor's office. PARTICIPANTS: In total, 7,315 pregnant women were included in the study; they were aged between 13 and 49, and had a mean gestational age of 30 weeks. MEASUREMENTS: In addition to the MFAS-HU-20, other paper-and-pencil scales were applied to measure perceived social support, partnership interactions, depressive and generalized anxiety symptoms, and pregnancy-related anxiety. Socio-demographic and pregnancy-related data were collected through personal interviews. FINDINGS: Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses supported an oblique two-factor model, consisting of factors that were renamed 'Attunement' and 'Interaction'. Cronbach's alphas for these two subscales confirmed their adequate internal consistency. The age of the expectant women, their partnership status, level of education, equivalized household income and parity all had a small effect on their bonding, while gestational age and multiple pregnancy had no meaningful impact on prenatal attachment in the present study. The psychosocial characteristics of the pregnant women were weakly associated with their attachment to the fetus, regardless of the mother's level of education. CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests a two-factor structure of maternal-fetal attachment that reflects the distinction between the mental and behavioural aspects of this relationship. Socio-demographic background and psychosocial characteristics have a small impact on women's attachment to their fetus. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: The MFAS-HU-20 seems to be a reliable and valid scale that could be utilized in prenatal research and pregnancy care. Its correlates highlight the importance of interventions aimed at providing social support for pregnant women.

Reducing the Nighttime Fears of Young Children Through a Brief Parent-Delivered Treatment-Effectiveness of the Hungarian Version of Uncle Lightfoot.

The aims of the present study were to evaluate the efficacy of a brief intervention, and to determine for whom the treatment works. 73 children between 3 and 8 years of age with significant nighttime fears were enrolled in an intervention group (n = 36) or in a waitlist group (n = 37). The intervention involved a 5-week parent delivered therapy. Assessments took place at baseline, post-treatment, and 20 weeks following baseline. In the intervention group, compared with the waitlist group, nighttime-related fears and phobic symptoms decreased more, whereas adaptive nighttime behavior increased to a greater extent. The more time children spent with exposure and relaxation games during the intervention, the more their separation anxiety and maladaptive nighttime behavior were reduced. Girls' fear of darkness was reduced to a greater extent. The present study provides support for the use of parent-delivered therapy in the treatment of childhood nighttime fears.

Characteristics of the Hungarian pregnancy care system: background inequalities in the preferences for private and public care / A magyarországi várandósgondozási rendszer sajátosságai: a magán- és állami ellátások igénybevétele mögött húzódó egyenlotlenségek.

Összefoglaló. Bevezetés: Jóllehet Magyarországon a várandósok a társadalombiztosítási rendszer által támogatott komplex várandósgondozási ellátásra jogosultak, mégis sokan vesznek közülük igénybe privát szolgáltatásokat. Ezt a döntést többek között a biztonságérzet fokozása és a várandósgondozást végzo szakember szülésig tartó folytonosságának biztosítása motiválja. Nemzetközi szakirodalmi adatok alapján mindemellett feltételezheto, hogy hazánkban is befolyásolja a választást a társadalmi-gazdasági helyzet. Célkituzés: A jelen elemzés célja annak vizsgálata magyarországi várandósok reprezentatív mintáján, hogy az állami/magán/vegyes finanszírozású várandósellátás igénybevétele mennyiben kapcsolódik bizonyos demográfiai, szocioökonómiai, egészségi és pszichológiai változókhoz. Módszer: Az elemzés a Kohorsz '18 Magyar Születési Kohorszvizsgálat elso, várandós anyák körében zajló szakaszának súlyozott adatain történt (n = 8287). Az adatok forrását a védonok által szóbeli interjúk során felvett, valamint önkitöltos formában begyujtött kérdoíves adatok szolgáltatták. Eredmények: Az egyes várandósgondozási formák igénybevétele erosen összefüggött a várandós korával, iskolai végzettségével, anyagi helyzetével és foglalkozási presztízsével. Közepes erosségu kapcsolatban állt a várandós partnerkapcsolati helyzetével és meglévo gyermekeinek számával, míg gyenge összefüggésben az egészségi állapotával és pszichés tüneteivel. A finanszírozási formához mindemellett erosen kapcsolódott az, hogy a várandós választott orvossal, szülésznovel tervezte-e szülését. Megbeszélés: A kapott eredmények rámutatnak, hogy a várandósellátás különbözo finanszírozású formáinak igénybevétele jelentos mértékben együtt jár a várandós szocioökonómiai és demográfiai sajátosságaival, míg egészségi és pszichés állapotával csupán gyenge összefüggésben áll. Következtetés: A hazai várandósgondozást jellemzo kettos finanszírozás háttér-egyenlotlenségek egész sorát hordozza magában. Jövobeli elemzésekben vizsgálat tárgyává szükséges tenni, hogy ez mennyiben mutat összefüggést ellátásminoségi és -hozzáférési különbségekkel, valamint ezeken keresztül a várandós és gyermeke egészségével. Orv Hetil. 2021; 162(35): 1402-1412. INTRODUCTION: While pregnant women in Hungary are entitled to complex pregnancy care financed by the social security system, many of them do use private services. This decision is motivated, among other things, by increasing the sense of security and ensuring the presence of the doctor providing pregnancy care at the birth. However, based on the international literature, it can be assumed that this decision is influenced by the socio-economic background as well. OBJECTIVE: The aim of the present analysis is to examine the extent to which the use of public/private/mixed funded pregnancy care is related to certain demographic, socioeconomic, health related and psychological variables on a representative sample of pregnant women in Hungary. METHOD: The analysis was performed on the weighted data of the first, pregnant wave of the Cohort '18 Growing Up in Hungary (n = 8287). The analysis is based on data from personal interviews and self-administered questionnaires conducted by the health visitors among pregnant women in 2018. RESULTS: The use of different forms of pregnancy care was strongly related to the age of the pregnant women, their education, financial situation and occupational prestige. It was moderately correlated with the pregnant woman's partnership status and their parity, while it was weakly correlated with her health status and psychological symptoms. The form of financing of the pregnancy care was, however, strongly related to whether the pregnant woman planned to give birth with a chosen doctor or midwife. DISCUSSION: The results show that the use of different forms of pregnancy care is greatly associated with the socioeconomic and demographic characteristics of the pregnant women, while it is only weakly related to the health status and mental wellbeing. CONCLUSION: Double funding in the Hungarian pregnancy care system carries a whole range of background inequalities. Future analyses should examine whether this has an impact on the quality and availability of care and, indirectly, on the health of pregnant women and their children. Orv Hetil. 2021; 162(35): 1402-1412.

[The Hungarian adaptation of the Pregnancy Related Thoughts scale measuring pregnancy related anxiety]. / A várandóssággal kapcsolatos szorongást méro Pregnancy Related Thoughts kérdoív hazai adaptálása.

INTRODUCTION: Although pregnancy related anxiety has significant, negative effects on the outcomes of mothers, birth and children, there is a lack of research in Hungary regarding its prevalence and characteristics. AIM: The aim of the present study was the adaptation of the Pregnancy Related Thoughts by Rini et al. for a Hungarian sample, including the investigation of its psychometric properties. METHOD: 248 pregnant women, aged 30.46 years (SD = 4.94) responded our online questionnaire, at 4-40 weeks of gestation (M = 27.9; SD = 9.52). Besides the Pregnancy Related Thoughts, relevant demographic and health questions, generalized anxiety and depression screeners, a relationship satisfaction scale and a sense of control questionnaire were applied. RESULTS: The 9-item Hungarian version of the Pregnancy Related Thoughts proved to be a reliable and valid one-dimensional questionnaire, with the highest score among women in the first trimester. Pregnancy-specific anxiety significantly and moderately correlated with trait-anxiety, depression, external control, subjective health status and relationship satisfaction, in the expected direction. In addition, women who experienced bleeding or abdominal pain during pregnancy reported significantly higher pregnancy related anxiety than others. CONCLUSION: The Hungarian version of the Pregnancy Related Thoughts can be a useful instrument for mapping pregnancy anxiety in Hungary. Orv Hetil. 2018; 159(43): 1754-1760.

[Relationship between early maladaptive schemas, attachment quality and fear of darkness]. / Korai maladaptív sémák és kötodési minoség összefüggései a sötéttol való félelemmel.

INTRODUCTION: Although fear of darkness is most common in childhood, it is also a remarkable phenomenon in young adulthood. AIM: To examine the relationship between fear of darkness, early maladaptive schemas and attachment quality in young adults and assess fear related sex differences. METHOD: A self-developed scale was used to measure fear of darkness' intensity and frequency. Young Schema Questionnaire - Short Form and two scales that measure attachment dimensions were also applied. 120 university students (68 women, 52 men) filled in the tests. RESULTS: Fear of darkness' frequency correlated with avoidant attachment, and intensity with independent and anxious attachment. Fear of darkness variables correlated with several early maladaptive schemas. Women reported more frequent and intensive fear of darkness than men. CONCLUSIONS: These results indicated that the elevated level of fear of darkness is related to specific cognitive style and attachment quality. This highlights the potential clinical relevance of fear of darkness.

[Fear of the dark in adolescence and emerging adulthood: general model, gender and age differences]. / A sötéttol való félelem serdulo - és fiatal felnottkorban: általános modell, nemi és életkori különbségek.

INTRODUCTION: In our study we investigated fear of the dark in adolescence and emerging adulthood. First, we define fear and anxiety, which constitute together fear of the dark. We present the cognitive and interactionist models of fear, individual differences that affect the formation and maintenance of fear and the developmental aspects of this topic. The aim of our study was to map the phenomenon in adolescence and emerging adulthood, with respect to gender and age differences, and individual factors that affect the genesis of fear of the dark. METHODS: 83 secondary school (34 females) and 57 university students (29 females) filled our survey package. To measure the frequency of fear of the dark we used a self-developed scale. Our subjects also reported about the content and origin of their fears, and coping strategies applied against these fears. Individual differences were operationalized as trait anxiety, dysfunctional attitudes and self-esteem. RESULTS: 71 per cent of respondents reported to have experienced fear of dark at least rarely. Women - compared to men - indicated imagination as source of their fears, and were more likely to use avoidance, attention detraction and social support as coping. University students - compared to secondary school students - reported negative information as origin of their fears, and preferred avoidance as a mode of coping with them. Contents of fear showed no significant difference between either genders or age groups. In a pathway model we found that gender had a direct effect on the frequency of fear of the dark. Dysfunctional attitudes affected the frequency of fear via trait anxiety and low selfesteem. CONCLUSIONS: Fear of the dark effects a significant proportion of adolescents and emerging adults even in a non-clinical sample. Our results confirm and supplement former results concerning gender and age differences. The pathway model could prove to be an important empirical base for the treatment of fears and anxieties.