Demographic Variables Predicting Psychological Distress among Pregnant Women in Makurdi Metropolis, Benue State, Nigeria

This study examines demographic variables predicting psychological distress among pregnant women in Makurdi metropolis. A survey was conducted using the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K-10), a standardized psychological instrument developed for testing psychological distress having ten items with a five point Likert responses. A total number of 58 participants were used for the study. Data collected was tested using descriptive method, linear regression analysis and correlation. Result showed that only two demographic variables out of the seven tested individually predicted psychological distress among pregnant women; participants’ employment status, (ß= .282), t = 2.047, p < .05 and family monthly income, (ß=.370), t = 2.775, p < .05. The two variables jointly explain 25% variance of scores, R2= .25, F (2, 55) = 6.37, p<.05. Result also shows that demographic variables jointly predicted psychological distress, R2= .136, p <.05, although individually. The stepwise version of regression analysis shows that they remained valuable in contributing to psychological distress to a certain extent as they were not removed for being completely insignificant. Conclusion was drawn on the basis that financially related demographic variables were major predictors of psychological distress among pregnant women. Therefore, health policies should be created to control for those factors, government should create policies that provide financial benefits to women through pregnancy, delivery and early care of their babies, this will go a long way to control for the psychological distress suffered by pregnant women in response to low income earnings.