The Effect of Marital Satisfaction of Pregnant Women on Prenatal Perceived Stress: A Cross-Sectional Study

Objective: This study examines the effect of pregnant women's marital satisfaction on perceived prenatal stress. Methods: This descriptive and cross-sectional study was conducted with 520 pregnant women at a training and research hospital affiliated with the Diyarbakır Provincial Health Directorate between May and August 2022. The data for the study were collected using the Personal Information Form, the Marital Satisfaction Scale, and the Prenatal Perceived Stress Scale. In the analysis of the data, frequency, percentage, minimum and maximum values, mean, standard deviation, variance, independent samples t-test, Pearson correlation, Spearman correlation analyses, as well as Kurtosis and Skewness coefficients and Cronbach's alpha coefficient were used. Results: The mean age of the pregnant women was 24.30±4.46, while the mean age of their spouses was 27.95±4.68. The average duration of marriage was 1.97±1.66 years, the weekly frequency of intimacy was 2.27±1.04, and the average number of hospital visits was 6.50±2.46. The mean score of the Marital Satisfaction Scale for pregnant women was 52.93±8.47, while the total mean score of the Prenatal Perceived Stress Scale was 2.82±1.02. It was determined that pregnant women's marital satisfaction did not affect their perceived prenatal stress levels. Conclusion: Pregnant women's marital satisfaction does not affect perceived prenatal stress. Cultural characteristics and social structure are significant factors influencing perception.