Happiness and Related Factors in Pregnant Women
Kanthika Jayasvasti MSc*, Buranee Kanchanatawan MD*
Affiliation : * Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University
Background and Objectives : Pregnancy is a crisis in the human life cycle as an important turning point in
aspects of anatomical, physiological and psychosocial changes. An unhappy pregnanus could influence the
fetal growth and development and sense of maternal competence as well as bonding with the fetus which
profoundly affect the nurture of the infant after delivery. The authors’ purposes were to study happiness and
related factors in pregnant women having antenatal care at King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital.
Materials and Methods : Four hundred and thirty-eight pregnant women from the antenatal clinic at King
Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital were randomly selected to complete a set of questionnaires that consisted
of personal information, pregnant information, The Oxford Happiness Questionnaire (OHQ), The Maudsley
Personality Inventory ( MPI ) and The Marital Satisfaction Scale ( MSS ). Prevalence of happiness level was
classified by descriptive analysis. Unpaired t-test, ANOVA and Pearson’s Product Moment Correlation ana-
lyzed related factors to happiness in pregnant woman. Also Stepwise Multiple Regression Analysis was used
to define predictive factors for happiness in pregnant women.
Results : The sample had a high level of happiness of 57.3%. Significant related factors to happiness were age
between 31-35 years, high education level, high individual and family income, having saving deposition, no
drug abuse, improved marital relationship, no conflict with relatives, extrovert and stable personality types
and no concerns about post-partum body image. Four predictive factors for happiness in pregnant women
were extrovert personality, stable personality, high family income and improved marital relationship.
Conclusion : Level of happiness in pregnant women could be predicted by type of personality, family income
and marital relationship.
Keywords : Happiness, Pregnant women
