Gravidity, Gestational Age and Prenatal Stress Among Pregnant Women Attending Antenatal at Selected Hospitals in Otukpo Metropolis

Ojebe Aboje Matthew; Ihaji Elvis Oblu

doi:10.56201/ijmepr.v10.no3.2026.pg81.93

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Gravidity, Gestational Age and Prenatal Stress Among Pregnant Women Attending Antenatal at Selected Hospitals in Otukpo Metropolis

Ojebe Aboje Matthew, Ihaji Elvis Oblu

Abstract

Women experiencing pregnancy for the first time (primigravidae) and those in subsequent pregnancies (multigravida) may experience stress to some degree. Also, women in different trimesters of pregnancy experience stress at various levels depending on the changes going on in their bodies as well as other events in their lives. As a result, this study investigated gravidity, gestational age and prenatal stress among pregnant women attending antenatal at selected hospitals in Otukpo Metropolis. The study adopted the cross-sectional survey design involving 235 pregnant women in three selected hospitals in Otukpo metropolis in Otukpo Local Government of Benue State. Their ages ranged from 20 – 40 Years with a mean age of 27.96 and standard deviation of 4.845. The study adopted purposive and convenience sampling techniques. Instrument used for data collection is the Perceived Prenatal Maternal Stress Scale . The instrument used in this study was tested in a piloted study involving 34 pregnant women at the Muhammadu Buhari Mother and Child Hospital (BSUTH- Annex), Makurdi. The hypotheses stated in the study were tested using two-way analysis of variance (2x3 ANOVA). The result indicated that there is no significant influence of gravidity on prenatal stress among pregnant women F (1, 234) = 1.386, p>.05. Result also indicated that there is a significant influence of gestational age on prenatal stress among pregnant women F (2, 233) = 10. 956, p<.05. Lastly, it was indicated that there is a significant joint influence of gravidity and gestational age on prenatal stress among pregnant women F (2, 233) = 8.096, p<.05. The prevalence of stress during pregnancy is higher in the first trimester for all categories of pregnant women and in the third trimester for women in first pregnancy, indicating a need to screen for prenatal stress and its predictors in routine antenatal care. Strengthen counselling and psychotherapeutic services to pregnant women during antenatal visits. This will play significant role in alleviating prenatal stress among pregnant women in Otukpo metropolis in particular and Benue State in general. Key words: Gravidity, gestational age, prenatal stress, antenatal, pregnant women

Keywords

Graviditygestational ageprenatal stressantenatalpregnant women

References

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Gravidity, Gestational Age and Prenatal Stress Among Pregnant Women Attending Antenatal at Selected Hospitals in Otukpo Metropolis

Abstract

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