Psychosocial stress during pregnancy is related to adverse birth outcomes: results from a large multi-ethnic community-based birth cohort
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BACKGROUND: Prevalence rates of psychosocial stress during pregnancy are substantial. Evidence for associations between psychosocial stress and birth outcomes is inconsistent. This study aims to identify and characterize different clusters of pregnant women, each with a distinct pattern of psychosocial stress, and investigate whether birth outcomes differ between these clusters. METHODS: Latent class analysis was performed on data of 7740 pregnant women (Amsterdam Born Children and their Development study). Included constructs were depressive symptoms, state anxiety, job strain, pregnancy-related anxiety and parenting stress. RESULTS: Five clusters of women with distinct patterns of psychosocial stress were objectively identified. Babies born from women in the cluster characterized as 'high depression and high anxiety, moderate job strain' (12%) had a lower birth weight, and those in the 'high depression and high anxiety, not employed' cluster (15%) had an increased risk of pre-term birth. CONCLUSIONS: Babies from pregnant women reporting both high levels of anxiety and depressive symptoms are at highest risk for adverse birth outcomes.
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Approximately 30% of pregnant women report psychosocial stress in daily life, including job strain and depressive or anxiety symptoms.
“In studies of pregnant women, an estimated 30% report psychosocial stress in their daily lives, including job strain and depressive or anxiety symptoms.30”
From The transition to parenthood in obstetrics: enhancing prenatal care for 2-generation impact (2022) · cites this paper as [30]
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“Furthermore, an estimated 30% of pregnant women report psychosocial stress in their daily lives including job strain and depressive or anxiety symptoms [6].”
Background
- Authors
- Loomans, E. M., van Dijk, A. E., Vrijkotte, T. G. M., van Eijsden, M., Stronks, K., Gemke, R. J. B. J., & Van den Bergh, B. R. H.
- Affiliations
- Tilburg University (NL)
- Amsterdam UMC Location University of Amsterdam (NL)
- Amsterdam UMC Location Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (NL)
- Venue
- European Journal of Public Health
- Publisher
- Oxford University Press (OUP)
- Published
- 2012-07-31
- Volume
- 23
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 485-491
- ISSN
- 1101-1262 (ISSN-L)
- 1464-360X
- OpenAlex
- W2119709402
- Cited by
- 212
- References
- 38
- Citations by year
- 2026: 11 · 2025: 7 · 2024: 10 · 2023: 27 · 2022: 19 · 2021: 23 · 2020: 25 · 2019: 18 · 2018: 19 · 2017: 18 · 2016: 12 · 2015: 9 · 2014: 9 · 2013: 4 · 2012: 1
- FWCI
- 7.11
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- bronze
- doi.org
- Locations
- European Journal of Public Health (publishedVersion)
- Research portal (Tilburg University) (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Amsterdam UMC (VU Amsterdam) - Institutional Repository (publishedVersion)
- Data Archiving and Networked Services (DANS) (submittedVersion)
- Pure Amsterdam UMC (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- Hartstichting (2007B103)
- Universiteit van Tilburg
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Maternal Mental Health During Pregnancy and Postpartum
- Health Sciences › Health Professions › General Health Professions › Maternal and Neonatal Healthcare
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Obstetrics and Gynecology › Maternal and Perinatal Health Interventions
- Keywords
- psychosocial stress, pregnancy, birth outcomes, depressive symptoms, anxiety, job strain, parental stress, preterm birth, low birth weight, latent class analysis, multi-ethnic cohort
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Anxiety, Depression, Ethnicity, Female, Gestational Age, Humans, Infant, Low Birth Weight, Infant, Newborn, Netherlands, Pregnancy, Pregnancy Complications, Pregnancy Outcome, Surveys and Questionnaires, Risk Factors, Socioeconomic Factors, Stress, Psychological, Cohort Studies, Cluster Analysis, Linear Models, Parenting, Workload, Pregnant Women, Pregnant People
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