Pregnancy-Related Anxiety in Women With Systemic Lupus Erythematosus and Takayasu Arteritis in the Preconception Period: A Cross-Sectional Survey
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CLINICAL PRACTICE, cilt.2026, sa.1, 2026 (SCI-Expanded, Scopus)
- Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
- Cilt numarası: 2026 Sayı: 1
- Basım Tarihi: 2026
- Doi Numarası: 10.1155/ijcp/6632986
- Dergi Adı: INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CLINICAL PRACTICE
- Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus, CINAHL, EMBASE, Directory of Open Access Journals, Biomedical Reference Collection: Corporate Edition (EBSCO), Health Research Premium Collection (ProQuest)
- Dokuz Eylül Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet
Özet
ObjectiveSystemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and Takayasu arteritis (TAK) predominantly affect women of reproductive age. This study aimed to evaluate pregnancy-related anxiety (PRA), disease-specific pregnancy concerns, and perceptions regarding the relationship between rheumatic disease and pregnancy in women with SLE and TAK.MethodsWomen of reproductive age with SLE or TAK were enrolled. Disease activity and damage indices, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), and the Pregnancy-Related Anxiety Questionnaire-Revised 2 (PRAQ-R2) were administered. A structured questionnaire was used to assess pregnancy intentions and disease-specific pregnancy perceptions. Exploratory Spearman correlation analyses with false discovery rate correction were performed to evaluate associations between disease-specific pregnancy concerns and PRA.ResultsA total of 55 women with SLE and 27 with TAK were included. Nearly half of the participants (48.8%) reported concerns about their ability to conceive, with disease-related factors accounting for 95% of these concerns, and 67.1% considered postponing pregnancy because of their disease. More than half (51.2%) reported insufficient knowledge regarding disease progression during pregnancy. Most participants believed that pregnancy could pose risks to both maternal (85.9%) and fetal (87.2%) health; 62.8% were concerned about their ability to care for their baby after delivery, and 74.1% worried about transmitting their disease to their child. HADS anxiety and depression scores were positively correlated with the total PRAQ-R2 score and its subscales. Higher PRA was also significantly associated with concerns regarding disease worsening during and after pregnancy, medication-related fetal harm, adverse fetal outcomes, and disease transmission to the child after correction for multiple comparisons.ConclusionWomen with SLE and TAK experience substantial pregnancy-related concerns even before conception. PRA is associated with psychological distress and disease-specific pregnancy perceptions but not with disease activity or damage, emphasizing the need for comprehensive preconception counseling that addresses both disease management and pregnancy-related concerns.