title: Testing direct and moderating effects of coping styles on the relationship between perceived stress and antenatal anxiety symptoms.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The objective of this study was to test the direct and moderating effects of different coping styles in mitigating perceived stress associated with antenatal anxiety symptoms among 755 pregnant women in Chengdu.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional study using a questionnaire survey was carried out. The Perceived Stress Scale, the Trait Coping Style Questionnaire and the Zung Self-rating Anxiety Scale were used to measure stress, coping and anxiety symptoms, respectively. Hierarchical regression analysis was used to test the direct and moderating effects of coping styles in the relationship between perceived stress and antenatal anxiety symptoms.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Direct effects of negative coping (NC) styles were found. Women with higher NC scores were more likely to have anxiety symptoms. Positive coping (PC) styles had moderating effects on perceived stress, whereas NC styles did not.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The findings of this study highlight the direct and moderating effects of coping styles. This knowledge is important to healthcare professionals in planning health service provision. Health services should dedicate resources to teaching pregnant women how to enhance PC styles, alter NC styles and cultivate optimistic thinking to alleviate anxiety symptoms.
authors.affiliation: School of Health Sciences, Macao Polytechnic Institute , Macao , China .
authors.forename: Ying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Lau
authors.forename: Yuqiong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Dennis Ho Keung
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Kwong
authors.forename: Ying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D001007:Anxiety / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology*; D001294:Attitude to Health; D002681:China; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D011247:Pregnancy; D037841:Pregnant People / Q000523:psychology*; D012944:Social Support; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Antenatal anxiety symptoms; chengdu; coping styles; perceived stress