Psychosocial correlates of pregnant women's attitudes toward prenatal maternal serum screening and invasive diagnostic testing: Beyond traditional risk status

This study examined whether psychosocial variables predict pregnant women's attitudes toward maternal serum screening and invasive diagnostic testing, beyond the influence of traditional obstetric risk status ( based on advanced maternal age, history of genetic disorders, etc.). In a sample of 612 pregnant women ( 66.5% high risk, 33.5% low risk) we assessed responses to hypothetical scenarios of invasive testing following normal or abnormal maternal serum screening. We also assessed psychosocial variables stemming from the theory of planned behavior ( e. g., knowledge, concern for fetus, attitudes toward termination, health locus of control). Overall, two thirds of the women would want serum screening. Follow- up invasive diagnostic testing would be sought by 37.2% of the women after a negative screening, and by 75.0% after a positive screening. As expected, traditional risk status predicted desire for screening and also invasive testing following either a negative or positive screen. Yet, controlling for risk status, many psychosocial variables predicted a women's interest in screening and in invasive testing: more knowledge about prenatal testing, concern about fetal health, willingness to terminate a pregnancy, and an internal or medical profession health locus of control. We conclude that psychosocial variables influence women's desire for screening or invasive testing beyond traditional risk status.