Development of support strategies to address concerns of first-time mothers of advanced age during pregnancy and childrearing

2020 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 18K17660
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 58080:Gerontological nursing and community health nursing-related
• Research Institution: Mukogawa Women's University
• Principal Investigator: Matsui Natsumi 武庫川女子大学, 看護学部, 助教 (90806803)
• Project Period (FY): 2018-04-01 – 2021-03-31
• Keywords: 高齢初産婦 / 育児不安 / 産後うつ

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Semi-structured interviews and self-administered questionnaires were conducted with first-time mothers of advanced age to clarify the contributions of experiences during pregnancy and childrearing to postpartum depression and anxiety about childrearing. During pregnancy, the women felt happy that they were able to become pregnant, but still had anxiety and conflicting thoughts about pregnancy, childbirth, and childrearing. During childrearing, they felt happy that they made it safely through childbirth and were able to spend time with their child, while also experiencing increasing distress and tiredness as their child grew, as they had mixed feelings about the gap between their ideal and reality. The mother’s postpartum health, acceptance of the childrearing lifestyle, and generalized self-efficacy tended to be associated with parenting anxiety and postpartum depression.

Free Research Field

公衆衛生看護学分野

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

これまでに明らかにされていなかった、高齢初産婦の育児不安や産後うつの関連要因として、産後の健康状態、育児生活の受容、特性的自己効力感が示されたことは、育児不安や産後うつといった支援が必要な状況にある高齢初産婦への具体的な支援を検討することができるという点で意義があると考える。また、高齢初産婦の育児不安や産後うつを予防することにより、児童虐待予防に向けた高齢初産婦への「切れ目ない支援」のより具体的な展開につながることが期待できる。