Abstract

• Antenatal care is zoomed towards assisting the individual to achieve safe and wholesome state of health during pregnancy. Nature of fear is assumed to be rooted to complex interaction between past experiences, human relationship and present state of health, however, specific relationship between fear and the variables have not yet been ascertained. This study is designed to investigate the nature of fear or pregnancy, and the correlation between fear and the personal and environmental variables such as personal characteristics, past experiences-and paycho-social factors. During the period from Octobor 23 to November 5. 215 pregnant and 104 non-pregnant women of similar chronological are group residing in Seoul were interviewed according to check-list by random_ General anxiety test, general personality test and test for fear of pregnancy, family according to specific variables such as past experiences of pregnancy and childbirth, structure of family, family relationship and month of pregnancy was done to the group of pregnant women. To non-pregnant-group, general anxiety test was performed to compare with pregnant group. Results of the study are as follows; 1. Hypothesis 1; Degree of general anxiety will be higher pregnant women compared to that of non-pregnant women. There is no significant difference between the general anxiety of pregnant women and that of non-pregnant women. Therefore, hypothesis I is rejected. 2. Hypothesis 2; Fear of pregnancy and general anxiety will be correlated with personality factors. Through test for fear of pregnancy and general anxiety, a meager contra-correlation between fear and only two personal factors (R and E factor) is revealed but there is no significant correlation between fear and other personal factors (A,S, and T tactor). Degree of fear of pregnancy tends to be higher in the group with low personality factors; responsibility and emotional stability, expect the correlation between ascendancy, sociability, and confidence- inferiority, non-significant. Through general anxiety test, level of general anxiety tends to be higher in the group with low personality factors; responsibility, emotional stability, and confidence except ascendency and sociability, non- signifi- cant. Hypothesis 2 is partially supported. 3. Hypothesis 3; General anxiety and fear of pregnancy will be correlated with the past experience-of pregnancy, and child-birth experience. Though general anxiety test and test for fear of pregnancy, non-significant difference is revealed by P>.05 level. Hypothesis 3 is rejected. 4. Hypothesis 4; General anxiety and fear of pregnancy will be correlated with the month or pregnancy will be correlated with the month of pregnancy. Through tests of general anxiety and fear, significan correlation is revealed degree of fear by P<. 05 level (CR=1.98) and level of general anxiety by P<005 level (CR=3.11) is higher in-the earlier stage of pregnancy. Hypothesis 4 is supported. 5. Hypothesis 5,6, 7; General anxiety and fear of pregnancy will be correlated with socio-economic status, family structure, and family relationship. Through general anxiety test and tear of pregnancy test, non-significant is revealed by P>.05-level. Hypothesis 5, 6, 7 are rejected Conclusion and recommendation Level of general anxiety and degree of fear of pregnancy is shown not to be correlated with variables of past experiences of pregnancy and child-birth and family factors except the month of pregnancy. Personal characteristics are shown to be partially contra-correlated meagerly with genera anxiety and fear of pregnancy. This study revealed contrasted results, in regard to presence of correlation between genera anxiety and fear of pregnancy, to other thesis. In this context further studies under controlled! environment is recommended

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