title: Psychological impact of first-trimester prevention for preeclampsia on anxiety.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study aims to examine whether a first-trimester strategy of secondary prevention for preeclampsia increases anxiety in pregnant women.
  
  
  METHODS
  The anxiety levels of a cohort of women screened for preeclampsia at first trimester were measured by the Spielberg State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI-S) and compared between women screened as low and high risk. In a subgroup of women, the anxiety levels were additionally measured at second and third trimester. A General Linear Model (GLM) for repeated measurements was performed to adjust for potential confounders (age, nulliparity and socio-economic level).
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 255 women (135 low-risk and 120 high-risk) were evaluated. No differences were found in the mean STAI-S scores between low-risk and high-risk women: 35 (SD 9.9) and 34.6 (SD 10.1); p = 0.77. The proportion of women with high anxiety was not significantly different between groups (28/134 [20.7%] vs 24/120 [20%]; p = 0.88). No differences were found in the subgroups (51 low-risk and 50 high-risk) in which the anxiety levels were also measured at second and third trimester: 35.8 (SD 8.8) vs 35.2 (SD 9.7), p = 0.74, and 37.2 (SD 9.4) vs 35.3 (SD 8.6), p = 0.3. These differences remained non-significant after adjustment for potential confounders.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A strategy of first-trimester screening for preeclampsia does not increase maternal anxiety.
authors.affiliation: BCNatal - Barcelona Center for Maternal-Fetal and Neonatal Medicine (Hospital Clinic and Hospital Sant Joan de Deu), IDIBAPS, University of Barcelona, and Centre for Biomedical Research on Rare Diseases (CIBER-ER), Barcelona, Spain; High Risk Pregnancy Unit, Department of Child and Women's Health, Careggi University Hospital, Florence, Italy.
authors.forename: Serena
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Simeone
authors.forename: Cristina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lojo
authors.forename: Lluïsa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Garcia-Esteve
authors.forename: Stefania
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Triunfo
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Crovetto
authors.forename: Angela
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Arranz
authors.forename: Eduard
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Gratacós
authors.forename: Francesc
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Figueras
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001007:Anxiety / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D009035:Mothers / Q000523:psychology; D011225:Pre-Eclampsia / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000523:psychology; D011247:Pregnancy; D011261:Pregnancy Trimester, First / Q000523:psychology*; D018570:Risk Assessment / Q000379:methods; D055502:Secondary Prevention