The Effects of Maternal-Fetal Attachment, Pregnancy Stress, and Social Support on Prenatal Health Care Behavior in Pregnant Women

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to examine the effects of maternal-fetal attachment, pregnancy stress, and social support on prenatal health care behavior among pregnant women.Methods: This study was conducted with 107 pregnant women undergoing prenatal care at a women’s hospital and a general hospital in Region Cheongju-si from August 1, 2024, to January 31, 2025. The data were analyzed using independent t-tests, 1-way analysis of variance, Pearson correlation coefficient, multiple regression analysis with IBM SPSS Statistics ver. 29.0. The Scheffé test was used for post-hoc comparisons.Results: Prenatal health care behaviors showed significant differences according to education level and positively correlated with maternal-fetal attachment (r=0.49, p<0.001) and social support (r=0.40, p<0.001). Regression analysis identified maternal-fetal attachment (β=0.41, p<0.001) and social support (β=0.25, p=0.007) as significant factors influencing prenatal health care behaviors, explaining 30.6% of the variance (F=10.348, p<0.001).Conclusion: There is a need to enhance maternal–fetal attachment and to provide tailored interventions that strengthen social support systems for pregnant women. These efforts may contribute to the promotion of prenatal health care behaviors among pregnant women.