Why don't pregnant and infant mothers form social networks until they are isolated?

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 21K21108
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Research Activity Start-up
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: 0908:Society medicine, nursing, and related fields
• Research Institution: Tokyo Institute of Technology
• Principal Investigator: Nakatani Momoko 東京工業大学, 工学院, 准教授 (40910154)
• Project Period (FY): 2021-08-30 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: 子育て支援 / Well-being / 孤立 / Web調査

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Web surveys tested the hypothesis that first-time mothers' postpartum isolation is due to unawareness of the need for social networks during pregnancy. The survey was conducted during pregnancy, immediately after childbirth, and six months postpartum, targeting the same individuals. Results showed that the "desire to talk" with various people significantly increased after childbirth. It was also found that this desire was underestimated before childbirth. This suggests that underestimating the desire to talk before childbirth may explain the lack of social network formation during pregnancy.

Free Research Field

ソーシャルウェルビーイング

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

幼い子どもを育てる親の孤立は、産後鬱抑止のためにも、解決すべき大きな喫緊の社会課題である。本研究の結果、産後は、他者と話したい気持ちが産前と比べて有意に増加していることが明らかとなった。また、ほぼすべての話題について、また相手別では友人と話したいという気持ちを、産前には予測できていなかった。
産後直後は外出がままならないことを踏まえると、妊娠中、または妊娠前の早い段階から、「産後は産前以上に社会的ネットワークを必要とする」ことを知る機会を増やすことが必要不可欠である。