COVID-19 Pandemic: Maternal Anxiety Increases During Pregnancy, Indonesia

Introduction: The anxiety of pregnant women during the Covid-19 pandemic increased compared to pregnancy in ordinary conditions because pregnant women are one of the populations vulnerable to Covid-19 infection. The Covid-19 Pandemic can affect the health of pregnant women and fetuses, even feared increased morbidity and mortality. This study aimed to determine the anxiety of pregnant women, especially related to maternal and infant health in the Covid-19 pandemic. Method: This research is using a quantitative descriptive method with a cross-sectional design. The sample in this study were all pregnant women who were willing to take part in this study. Respondents came from three islands in Indonesia, namely Java, Sulawesi and Sumatra. The sampling technique used accidental sampling; as many as 20 respondents carried out checks at health facilities during the pandemic Covid-19. Researchers adopted the Pregnancy Stress Rating Scale (PSRS) instrument for 36 items statement and converted it in a google form for online surveys. The data analysis in this study used a frequency distribution. Results: The results showed that most of the pregnant women who experienced a severe level of anxiety in "finding safe health facilities for mothers and babies during pregnancy, and childbirth" (32.3) with a tertiary level of education (71.4), live outside the island of Java (83.3), and anxiety increased in the second trimester (61.5) and the third trimester (66.7). Conclusion:The emotional well-being of pregnant women must be maintained to produce a good quality pregnancy outcome, so that health workers need to identify pregnant women's anxiety earlyto minimize its effects. In addition, pregnant women must have the self-awareness to assess the health conditions, including anxiety during the pregnancy process.