Women's Health Issues
Volume 15, Issue 2 , Pages 48-54, March 2005

A cross-sectional survey of the relationship between partner deployment and stress in pregnancy during wartime

  • David M. Haas, MD

      Affiliations

    • Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Naval Hospital Camp Lejeune, Jacksonville, North Carolina
    • Corresponding Author InformationAddress correspondence to: LCDR David M. Haas, MD, Department of OB/GYN, Naval Hospital Camp Lejeune, 100 Brewster Boulevard, Jacksonville, NC 28547.
    • ,
  • Lisa A. Pazdernik, MD

      Affiliations

    • Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Naval Hospital Camp Lejeune, Jacksonville, North Carolina
    • ,
  • Cara H. Olsen, MS, MPH

      Affiliations

    • Biostatistics Consulting Center, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, Maryland

Received 5 February 2004; received in revised form 20 September 2004; accepted 3 December 2004.

Objective

The objective of this study was to determine if having a partner deployed during wartime increased the stress levels in pregnant women and altered their attitudes toward pregnancy.

Methods

We administered a cross-sectional survey of all military and civilian women attending the antenatal clinic at Naval Hospital Camp Lejeune. We collected the anonymous surveys in May 2003. The survey measured demographics, self-reported stress level, and other attitudes toward the pregnancy and deployment; blood pressure was recorded. Data were compared by partner deployment status and reported stress levels using chi-square, t-tests, and logistic regression analysis.

Results

Two hundred seventy-nine surveys were returned, representing 93.3% of those distributed. An almost equal number of patients had a partner deployed as nondeployed (49.1% versus 50.9%). Women with deployed partners were older, more had children at home, more often reported both significantly higher stress levels and a severe impact of the deployment on their stress, had a lower systolic blood pressure, more often reported changed eating habits, and reported that media coverage of the war worsened their stress than those whose partners were not deployed. Logistic regression analysis of stress found that partner deployment, having more than one child at home, and being active-duty were associated with reporting higher stress levels (odds ratio [OR] = 2.27, p = .013; OR = 3.11, p = .042; and OR = 4.03, p = .01, respectively).

Conclusions

Pregnant women with deployed partners and those with more than one child already at home report higher stress levels than their peers with partners present. Increased stress in pregnant women with deployed partners may lead to adverse pregnancy outcomes. Further study is warranted to assess the impact of deployment on pregnancy and family life to better support homeland pregnant partners of deployed military members during wartime.

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PII: S1049-3867(04)00133-1

doi:10.1016/j.whi.2004.12.002

Women's Health Issues
Volume 15, Issue 2 , Pages 48-54, March 2005

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