The effect of risk perception on pregnancy distress and prenatal attachment in pregnant women treated in the perinatology clinic

Objective: This study was conducted as a descriptor in order to determine the effect of risk perception, dystress and prenatal bonding on the pregnant women who are treated in perinatology clinic. Method: This is a descriptive study. It was conducted with 204 pregnant women treated at the Perinatology Clinic of Antalya Training and Research Hospital, University of Health Sciences, between August 2023 and May 2024. Data collection tools included a Personal Information Form, the Pregnancy Risk Perception Scale, the Tilburg Pregnancy Distress Scale, and the Prenatal Attachment Inventory. Data were collected via face-to-face interviews. Descriptive statistics were used to evaluate the data: frequency, mean, standard deviation, number, and percentage. Variance, correlation, and regression analyses were used in data analysis. Results: The mean age of the women in the study was found to be 30.2±5.99. 33.8% of the women were high school graduates, 55.9% were unemployed, and 77.9% had a moderate income level. The overall mean Pregnancy Risk Perception score was 4.52±2.03, the overall mean Tilburg Pregnancy Distress Scale score was 1.05±0.47, and the overall mean Prenatal Attachment Inventory score was 64.48±10.96. Significant relationships were found between the Tilburg Pregnancy Distress Scale and Pregnancy Risk Perception, negative relationships between the Prenatal Attachment Inventory and negative affect, and positive relationships with spouse involvement. Conclusion: The study found moderate levels of pregnancy risk perception, low levels of distress, and high levels of prenatal attachment. Women with higher levels of education, those with chronic diseases, those with risky pregnancies, and those who assessed their health poorly had higher risk perceptions. Nurses should plan supportive interventions to increase risk awareness and reduce stress levels for pregnant women with high risk and low levels of education.