STATE-TRAIT ANXIETY OF WOMEN WHO HAVE PREVIOUSLY BORNE CHILDREN WITH TRISOMY CHROMOSOME ABNORMALITIES AND WOMEN OF ADVANCED MATERNAL AGE PRIOR TO CHORIONIC VILLUS SAMPLING.
Contributors: New York University.
Published: 1993
Number of pages: 180
Subjects: Health Sciences, Nursing.
Description: The purpose of this descriptive research was to determine if there were differences in state and trait anxiety in women who had previously borne a child with a trisomy chromosomal abnormality (PAC, N = 24) and advanced maternal age women (AMA, N = 50) prior to the new prenatal diagnosis technique, chorionic villus sampling (CVS). Based upon the proposition that individual attributes such as age and obstetric history are related to differences in anxiety, it was hypothesized that women with a PAC would have greater state and trait anxiety as compared to AMA women prior to CVS. This self-selected sample of high risk pregnant women were equivalent with respect to demographic data and pregnancy history characteristics (excluding a previously affected child). All participants completed Spielberger's STAI. This highly reliable and valid, self reporting questionnaire measures both state anxiety (situational) and trait anxiety (constitutional).

Independent t-tests supported that women with a PAC demonstrated a significant increase in T-anxiety prior to CVS. When T-anxiety was statistically controlled with an analysis of mean residuals, it confirmed that women with a PAC exhibited a significant increase in S-anxiety as well. Comparisons were made between the two subsamples regarding their identified concerns related to CVS. AMA women demonstrated a significant increase in concerns related to procedure related pain. PAC women exhibited an increase in accurately assessing the risk of an affected child.

The unique contribution of this study's findings was the acknowledgment of the individual attributes of age and obstetric history and their relationship to a woman's psychological response to CVS. Hopefully, this information will be helpful to clinicians in providing psychological as well as physical care to women experiencing CVS.
Notes: Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 54-08, Section: B, page: 4086.

Thesis (PH.D.)--NEW YORK UNIVERSITY, 1993.

School code: 0146.