Women's worries during pregnancy: testing the Cambridge Worry Scale on 200 Swedish women

The Cambridge Worry Scale (CWS) is an instrument including 16 items measuring women's major worries during pregnancy. The aim of the study was to test the scale, translated into Swedish, on pregnant women in Stockholm. We also wanted to explore whether these women were worried about any item no...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Scandinavian journal of caring sciences 2003-06, Vol.17 (2), p.148-152
Main Authors: Öhman, Susanne Georgsson, Grunewald, Charlotta, Waldenström, Ulla
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Anxiety
Cambridge Worry Scale
Caring sciences
Female
Gestational Age
Humans
INTERDISCIPLINARY RESEARCH AREAS
Kirurgi
MEDICIN
MEDICINE
Nursing
Obstetrics and women's diseases
Obstetrik och kvinnosjukdomar
pregnancy
Pregnancy - psychology
Pregnancy Complications - psychology
Pregnant women
Pregnant Women - psychology
Psychological Tests
Reproductive and perinatal care
Reproduktiv och perinatal omvårdnad
Stress, Psychological
Surgery
Sweden
TVÄRVETENSKAPLIGA FORSKNINGSOMRÅDEN
Vårdvetenskap
worry
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Summary:The Cambridge Worry Scale (CWS) is an instrument including 16 items measuring women's major worries during pregnancy. The aim of the study was to test the scale, translated into Swedish, on pregnant women in Stockholm. We also wanted to explore whether these women were worried about any item not included in the scale. An additional aim was to study possible variation in women's worries related to gestational week. Two hundred women were recruited. The average age was 31 years and 56% were primiparas. Gestational age ranged from 8 to 42 weeks, with a median of 28 weeks. The reliability of the scale was satisfactory (Cronbach's alpha coefficient 0.81). The major worries were about the baby's health, giving birth and miscarriage. These items, all related to pregnancy outcomes, were followed by worries about financial matters. An additional concern not included in the scale was about the maternity services in Stockholm, i.e. that the hospital would be overbooked, the staff being too busy or the medical safety not being guaranteed. Few women worried about their relationship with their partner or if he would be present at birth. Some of the items showed a pattern with a period of less worry in midpregnancy.
ISSN:0283-9318
1471-6712
1471-6712
DOI:10.1046/j.1471-6712.2003.00095.x