Objective
To ascertain levels of COVID-19-related knowledge, worry, and non-medical impact in pregnant people and their partners worldwide.
Study Design
We conducted a cross-sectional study (in four languages; April-May 2020) of COVID-related worry, knowledge, and non-medical impact. Participants (n=7,411) came from 175 countries through Facebook and Amazon’s mTURK, and created standardized T-scores (mean:50; standard deviation:10) as summary measures in each domain (COVID-related knowledge, worry, and impact). Participants self-identified if they (n=166) or their partners (n=275) were currently pregnant. Participants were classified geographically by the UN classification system of resident country into six regions. ANOVA analysis (SPSSv25) identified significance of differences in scores by pregnancy status.
Results
Globally, pregnant people’s COVID-19-related knowledge scores were one-third lower than their non-pregnant counterparts (p<.001: 33.2 v. 50.4, respectively), and non-medical COVID-19-related impact scores were 12% higher than their non-pregnant counterparts (p<.001: 56.0 v. 49.9, respectively). No differences in COVID-19-related worry (p=0.832) were detected. Respondents indicating a pregnant partner similarly had COVID-19-related knowledge scores one-third lower (p<.001), COVID-19-related impact scores 3% higher (p=.023), and COVID-19-related worry scores almost 4% lower (p=.003) than other respondents. COVID-19-related knowledge was significantly lower for pregnant people compared to non-pregnant people in every region, and non-medical COVID-19-related impact was higher among pregnant people in all regions except Africa and Latin America. Only in Europe was COVID-19-related worry significantly higher in pregnant people (p=.042). Knowledge, worry, and impact scores were not correlated with resident country’s COVID epidemiological profile for pregnant people.
Conclusion
Pregnant people and their partners are at significant risk for COVID-19-related personal impact and for low COVID-19-related knowledge, which is not attributable to their country’s COVID experience.