Pregnant Women Reported Coping Practices during COVID 19 Pandemic

Abstract

Background: Announcing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) as a global pandemic with high mortality andmorbidity rate exaggerated high level of stress and anxiety for pregnant women. Pregnant women were considered ahigh-risk group for COVID-19 infection so many varieties of coping practices were utilized to decrease the stressfulpandemic conditions. Aim: The study aimed to explore pregnant women reported coping practices during COVID -19pandemic. Method: A Descriptive retrospective study was utilized. Study subjects: A convenient sample of 207 womenwho were pregnant during the pandemic COVID-19 and came to Health Care Office in Sherbin city, Dakahlia, Egypt,during the six wave of COVID-19 pandemic to vaccine their infants. Data collection tool: A structured interviewquestionnaire was utilized. Results: Nearly two-thirds of studied mothers had their knowledge regarding copingpractices either from mass media materials or from friends or family and around one-quarter of them did not followpreventive coping practices at all as avoiding overcrowded places, wearing mask outside the home, washing handsfrequently with soap and water or alcohol-based sanitizers and staying at home except for medical reasons. In addition,the majority of the studied mothers were reading from the Quran or the Bible and praying for strength and courage to get through the pregnancy and around 50% of them did not practice coping practices regarding healthy diet and enough sleep hours. Conclusion: The majority of the studied mothers had unsatisfactory coping practices during COVID-19 pandemic. Recommendation: Designing nursing guidelines for pregnant women about different coping practices andtheir important role during the pandemic.