title: The Relationship of Social Support and Quality of Life with the Level of Stress in Pregnant Women Using the PATH Model.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Lack of adequate social support, stress, and generally poor quality of life during pregnancy leads to adverse pregnancy outcomes for both the mother and the baby.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This study aimed to investigate the relationship of social support and quality of life with level of stress during pregnancy.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a descriptive-correlative study conducted on 210 pregnant women (meeting study criteria), attending Shahriar Social Services Hospital during 2012. Purposive convenient sampling was used. Study subjects completed questionnaires of obstetrics and demographics, VAUX social support, World Health Organization quality of life, and stress during pregnancy. Data were analyzed with SPSS-19 and Lisrel 8.8, utilizing statistical path analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The final path model fitted well (CF1 = 1, RMSEA = 0.00) and showed that direct quality of life paths with β = -0.2, and indirect social support with β = -0.088 had the most effects on reduction of stress during pregnancy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Social support indirectly and quality of life directly affect stress during pregnancy. Thus, health officials should attempt to establish measures to further enhance social support and quality of life of pregnant women to reduce stress and its consequences during this time.
authors.affiliation: Department of Midwifery, International branch of Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, IR Iran.
authors.forename: Sara
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Shishehgar
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, IR Iran.
authors.forename: Abolfazl
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mahmoodi
authors.affiliation: Department of Midwifery, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, IR Iran.
authors.forename: Mahrokh
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dolatian
authors.affiliation: Social Determinants of Health Research Center, Alborz University of Medical Sciences, Karaj, IR Iran.
authors.forename: Zohreh
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Mahmoodi
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatric, Taleghani Hospital, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, IR Iran.
authors.forename: Maryam
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bakhtiary
authors.affiliation: Department of Biostatistics, School of Paramedical Sciences, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, IR Iran.
authors.forename: Hamid
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Alavi Majd
keywords: Pregnancy; Quality of Life; Social Support; Stress