Background Cumulative evidence suggests that early identification of anxiety in pregnancy is important, given that antenatal anxiety has been linked to morbid outcomes in expecting mothers and their offspring. However, the burden of antenatal anxiety is not yet known in Qatar. This research aims to measure the prevalence and determinants of generalized and pregnancy-related anxiety among pregnant women. Methods Eight hundred pregnant women completed a structured interview and self-administrated questionnaires after being selected through probability sampling from nine primary healthcare centers distributed across Qatar. We subjected the data to Binary and Multiple Logistic Regression Analysis. Furthermore, we conducted a Confirmatory Factor Analysis for the utilized scales. Results Out of eight hundred participants, 26.5% reported high pregnancy-related anxiety, while 16.4% had a generalized anxiety disorder. A high level of perceived social support and resilience was shown to mitigate generalized and pregnancy-related anxiety. However, we revealed that different determinants influence the two types of anxiety. Limitations There is no recognized optimal cut-off point to distinguish ‘high risk’ in pregnancy-related anxiety scales. Conclusions Pregnancy-related anxiety is more prevalent than generalized anxiety among pregnant women in Qatar, indicating that stakeholders must include screening for pregnancy-related anxiety in Qatar's clinical guidelines. Tailored interventional studies could focus on increasing resilience and social support to decrease the burden of antenatal anxiety.

Background Screening for antenatal depression and its determinants is highly recommended. However, there is no consensus on a standard conceptual framework to approach pregnant women in a primary health care setting. The prevalence of antenatal depression and significant determinants are unknown in Qatar, a gap that we propose to fill. Methods An analytical cross-sectional study with a probability sampling technique was employed. Enrolling eight-hundred participants from primary health care centers. The screening was performed through a valid and reliable screening instrument ‘Edinburgh Postpartum Depression Scale.’ In addition to the proposed Comprehensive Biopsychosocial Model, participants were asked about their predisposing profile, biological risk, and other suggested modifiable variables. Results Twenty-one percent reported minor depressive episodes (n = 167, 20.9%) at a 95% confidence interval [18.2–23.8]. Previous use of mental health medications, fear of giving birth, concern about appearance, low perceived social support, and low resilience level showed to be associated with antenatal depression. The logistic regression analyses revealed that the Comprehensive Biopsychosocial model forecast 89% of antenatal depression predictors provided Area Under the Receiver Operating Characteristic Curve of 0.89 at a 95% confidence interval [0.85 to 0.92]. Conclusions Antenatal depression is common among pregnant women in Qatar, and preventive interventions must target the determinants revealed. From a clinical perspective, the use of the proposed model may aid in the standardization of the screening process.

Background Health literacy is a vital strategy to consider when designing health-promoting programs, and health literacy is a priority in Qatar’s national health agenda. In the context of pregnancy, inadequate health literacy has been linked to several adverse outcomes among pregnant women such as unplanned conception, smoking, and lack of multi-vitamin intake. Given the paucity of data, this study aimed to assess the level of health literacy and its determinants among pregnant women in the State of Qatar. Methods An analytical cross-sectional design was utilized. First, we piloted the measurement tools on 10% of the calculated sample size. Accordingly, the items of the measurement tools were revised. Next, we utilized a structured questionnaire to interview the participants about their socio-demographic characteristics, pregnancy-related factors, and the Newest Vital Sign Tool. A chi-square test was employed to investigate the association level among variables, with significance set to P < 0.05. A logistic regression model was used to identify the factors associated with a low literacy level. Results We found that almost four in 10 pregnant women (n = 138,45.4%) had inadequate health literacy. Furthermore, the insufficient level of health literacy was significantly associated with low educational background, decreased household income, and primigravida. However, uncontrolled glycaemia was the only significant predictor of inadequate health literacy through logistic regression. The scale was found to be reliable, with a calculated Cronbach’s alpha of 0.8. Conclusions Low health literacy is common among pregnant women in the State of Qatar. Thus, public health officials should focus on delivering tailored health literacy interventions to pregnant women in the country.

Background Research self-efficacy is one of the crucial predictors of productively engaging in research activities emphasized by the Qatar National Vision 2030. Nevertheless, studies typically focus on research self-efficacy among students, neglecting physicians, despite the importance of research as competency in continuous professional development. Therefore, the objective of our study is to understand the level of research self-efficacy among physicians and its determinants.  Methods An analytical cross-sectional design was employed. We utilized an open survey through DACIMA Software that included questions related to Self-Efficacy in Research Measure (SERM) and possible determinants. One-hundred-twenty-two completed answers, and the response rate was 19.2%. Following descriptive analyses, a chi-square test was used to uncover the associations among variables, with significance set to p ≤ 0.05. Next, a logistic regression model was conducted to identify the predictors of a low research self-efficacy level. Finally, reliability and principal component analysis were applied on the SERM scale. Results Three-quarters of the sample reported insufficient research self-efficacy. The sociodemographic and professional factors did not significantly associate with insufficient research self-efficacy. However, participation in clinical guidelines proved to be a determinant of sufficient research self-efficacy. Conclusions Physicians must be encouraged to participate in clinical guidelines to improve their research self-efficacy level.