Factors associated with the self-esteem of pregnant women at normal risk.
Caroline Bessa da Silva, Victórya Suéllen Maciel Abreu, Douglas de Araújo Costa and 5 others
PMID 40172354WHAT IT FOUND
Among 150 normal-risk pregnant women, lower self-esteem was associated with being up to 19, unmarried, not living with a partner, no paid employment, and unplanned pregnancy.
Key findings
01Pregnant women aged up to 19 years had lower self-esteem than older women (p=0.023).
02Pregnant women who were not married had lower self-esteem than married women (p=0.005), and those not living with a partner had lower self-esteem than those living with a partner (p=0.049).
03Pregnant women without paid employment during pregnancy had lower self-esteem (p=0.026), and women with unplanned pregnancies had lower self-esteem than women with planned pregnancies (p=0.044).
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The study was cross-sectional, so it can show association but cannot show cause or change over time. Participants were recruited from three primary health units in one city and were selected by convenience, so the results may not apply to other regions or care settings. Only normal-risk pregnant women over 18 with gestational age greater than 20 weeks were included, so it says little about early pregnancy or high-risk pregnancies. The sample was 150 women, and the authors note that the small sample may restrict generalization. Self-esteem was self-reported and collected by nursing students before or after prenatal consultations, which may affect responses and does not test clinical outcomes.
Declared interests
The supplied text states that the study was funded by Brazil's National Education Fund (FNDE) and supported by Public Notice No. 21/2018 - Procad/Amazonia, project No. 88881.200531/2018-01. It does not provide an author conflict-of-interest declaration.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that marriage, paid work, living with a partner, or planned pregnancy will raise self-esteem. This study measured associations at one time point and did not test an intervention.