The Moderating Effect of Self-Efficacy on Pregnancy Stress and Smartphone Addiction of Pregnant Women in Late Pregnancy: A Longitudinal Study

Abstract

Purpose

We aimed to understand the current situation of smartphone addiction in pregnant women, and explored the moderating effect of self-efficacy between pregnancy stress and smartphone addiction.

Patients and Methods

This study adopted a longitudinal design to collect pregnant women from the obstetrics and gynecology department of a tertiary hospital in Shenyang in 2020 from early pregnancy (T1) to their late pregnancy (T2). A total of 342 questionnaires were collected, including the Smartphone Addiction Scale-Short Version (SAS-SV), the Pregnancy Pressure Scale (PPS), and the Chinese version of the General Self-Efficacy Scale (GSES). Multiple hierarchical regression and simple slope test were used to test the moderating effect of self-efficacy.

Results

Smartphone addiction in T2 (44.74) was more sever than in T1 (33.11). The interaction item of T1 pregnancy stress and T2 self-efficacy was positively correlated with smartphone addiction (β=0.205, P<0.01) and explained an additional 3.2% variance (ΔR²=0.032, P<0.01). The influence of pregnancy stress on smartphone addiction was gradually decreased in the low, mean, and high groups of self-efficacy.

Conclusion

Smartphone addiction in late pregnancy was more severe than that in early pregnancy, possibly due to increased pregnancy stress. The self-efficacy of pregnant women could reduce the impact of pregnancy stress on smartphone addiction. Medical staff can alleviate the bad behavior by improving their self-efficacy.

Keywords:

• late pregnancy
• pregnancy stress
• smartphone addiction
• self-efficacy
• moderating effect

Data Sharing Statement

The datasets generated during and/or analysed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

Ethical Approval

This study was reviewed and approved by the Ethics Committee of General Hospital of the Northern Theater Command. The study followed the principles of the Declaration of Helsinki. All participants were requested to read and sign the informed consent form before starting this study.

Acknowledgments

This study was grateful to the staff of the hospital who cooperated and the pregnant women who participated in the survey.

Author Contributions

All authors made a significant contribution to the work reported, whether that is in the conception, study design, execution, acquisition of data, analysis and interpretation, or in all these areas; took part in drafting, revising or critically reviewing the article; gave final approval of the version to be published; have agreed on the journal to which the article has been submitted; and agree to be accountable for all aspects of the work.

Disclosure

The authors reported no conflicts of interest in this work.

Additional information

Funding

This study did not receive any funding.