Social support perceived by pregnant women in Santa Marta, Colombia: A comparative analysis

Abstract

Introduction: Perceived social support during gestation is important for perinatal mental health. However, little is known about these variables in the Colombian population. Objective: To compare perceived social support with sociodemographic and gynaeco-obstetric variables and positive affect in pregnant women in Santa Marta, Colombia. Materials and Methods: Forty women between 19 and 41 years of age (M=26.48; SD=5.03), in their third trimester of pregnancy and beneficiaries of a program to promote exclusive breastfeeding, participated. The participants filled out a sociodemographic and gynaeco-obstetric form, the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS) (α=0.88), and a subscale of the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS) (α=0.82). The Mann-Whitney U test was used for comparative statistical analyses. Ethical guidelines for human research were followed. Results: 67% of the participants belonged to a low socioeconomic status, 87.5% had a partner, 67.5% had a higher education, 42.5% were employed, and 47.5% were new mothers. Women of higher socioeconomic status perceived greater social support from their friends (p = 0.01). Family social support was significantly higher in first-time mothers (p=0.01) and mothers who reported higher positive affect (p = 0.03). Finally, social support from significant others was higher when it was the woman’s first pregnancy (p=0.02). Conclusions: Significant differences were found in some dimensions of perceived social support according to socioeconomic status, being a first-time mother, and positive affect. Further studies with larger sample sizes are recommended.