The Explanatory Models for Anxiety among Pregnant Women Infected with COVID-19 in China: A Thematic Analysis of 336 Postings from Infected Individuals

Background: Infection with COVID-19 aggravates the anxiety of pregnant women. Our study aimed to establish explanatory models to investigate the causes of anxiety in pregnant women infected with COVID-19. Methods: To achieve this, we captured 336 postings of infected pregnant women on Sina Weibo from 7 November 17, 2022, to January 16, 2023, during which the number of infected people continued to rise after China lifted control of the epidemic. We used Python to filter the postings and NVivo12 for thematic analysis. Results: Our analysis revealed four central themes and thirteen sub-themes: Theme 1: Neglecting Maternity Care, including Discomfort Without Special Treatment, Special Care Absence, and Exploitation of Healthcare Resources; Theme 2: High-risk Pregnancy Process, including Collapse of Safe Space, Risk of Mother-to-Child Transmission, Unknown Drug Risk Impact, and Emergence of Childbirth Risk; Theme 3: The Pressure of Motherhood Expectations, including Motherhood Negligence and Lost Opportunities to Become Mothers; Theme 4: Insufficient Social Support, including Delayed Policy Support, Lack of Instrumental Support, Negative Informational Support, and Weak Inter-individual Support. Conclusions: For pregnant women with COVID-19, it is crucial to have mental health interventions, eHealth programs, social media content moderation, and flexible hospital policies.