During the integrative review of the thirty articles, 540 codes about well-being in HRP were extracted (Tables 2). Findings revealed that there were different definitions for well-being in HRP, none of which was comprehensive. Thus, the attributes, antecedents, and consequences of the concept were extracted (Table 3) in order to provide a better understanding about it.
The attributes of well-being in HRP
Through the analysis of the explicit and the implicit definitions of well-being in HRP, seven attributes, symptoms, or components were identified for the concept. These attributes were as the following: well-being as a multidimensional and complex concept (27, 28), controlled physical conditions (29, 30), controlled mood, emotions, and affections (14, 27), perceived threat (30, 31), self-efficacy and competence for multiple role performance (27, 32), maintained social relationships (30, 33), and meaning seeking and relationship with the Creator (34).
- Well-being as a multidimensional and complex concept.
Well-being in HRP is a multidimensional and complex subjective concept which may change during pregnancy. It is integrated with the concept of health and is considered as the abstract understanding of health (27, 28).
- Controlled physical conditions
Well-being in high risk pregnancy refers to the successful control of physiologic parameters (29, 35) and successful control of physical health conditions (30, 36). In other words, it denotes that the physical problems of HRP have been controlled and are bearable (36, 37).
- Controlled mood, emotions, and affections
The components of negative well-being in HRP are anxiety (14, 31, 38-40), depression (14, 32, 37, 41), and stress (14, 30, 32, 35, 41, 42). A woman with HRP may feel well-being when she is satisfied with her conditions, her positive feelings overweigh her negative feelings (30, 37, 43), and does not experience unpleasant affective and emotional feelings (32, 33, 44). Thereby, well-being in HRP is achieved when mood, emotions, and affections are under control.
- Perceived threat
In HRP, women with poor well-being feel concern and have fear over the adverse consequences of pregnancy (32, 43, 45). They may feel that they and their fetuses are at risk for threats and hence, are uncertain about pregnancy outcomes (32, 38, 42, 43, 46).
- Self-efficacy and competence for multiple role performance
One of the key components of well-being in HRP is self-efficacy and self-control for showing appropriate responses to pregnancy (28, 32). Limitation of behaviors and activities (14, 47), a sense of strain, and damages to maternal roles in family (30, 33) are indicative of poor well-being in HRP.
- Maintained social relationships
Damage to social activities and relationships and disturbances in marital relationships also indicate poor well-being in HRP(30).
- Meaning seeking and relationship with the Creator
Well-being in HRP is an abstract concept with two existential and religious dimensions. It is closely related to pregnant women’s mental and general health (34, 48, 49).
The antecedents of well-being in HRP
Data analysis revealed that the antecedents of well-being in HRP were personal and socioeconomic characteristics, physical tensions, availability and perceived quality of health services, psychological context, social support, interpersonal relationships, coping strategies, and spirituality and religiosity. These are explained in the following.
- Personal and socioeconomic characteristics
Personal and socioeconomic characteristics such as age, number of pregnancies, educational level, marital status, income level, and employment status can affect well-being in HRP (31, 32, 37, 38, 50). Nulliparous women, younger ages (50), lower educational level (32), lower financial status, and financial insecurity have lower well-being (31, 33, 37, 38).
- Physical tensions
Physical problems such as pain, nausea, and vomiting are the predictors of poor well-being in HRP. The tension caused by the physical problems of pregnancy, development of pregnancy to an HRP, and hospitalization-induced functional limitations can cause psychological distress and reduce well-being in HRP (14, 30, 32-35, 37, 41-43, 50-53).
- Availability and perceived quality of health services
Good access to healthcare services gives women with HRP the sense of well-being (30, 43, 53). Contrarily, limited access to diagnostic, therapeutic, and intensive care services causes fear and stress and reduces well-being (30, 53). Moreover, mothers who perceive that health services are appropriate and are not disturbing feel higher levels of well-being (30, 47). Informed and free choice of health services also improves satisfaction and well-being among pregnant women (46, 53).
- Psychological context
The history of psychological disorders, critical negative life events (33, 37, 43, 52), adverse pregnancy outcomes in previous pregnancies (32, 43, 53), and infertility is associated with lower levels of well-being in HRP (53, 54). Conversely, wanted pregnancy and personal competencies such as good self-esteem improve well-being in HRP (27, 31, 37, 38, 50).
- Social support
Social and emotional support received from family, spouse, peers, neighbors, colleagues, and healthcare providers can improve well-being in pregnancy (30-33, 37, 38, 42, 43). Moreover, supportive rules, regulations, and services at workplace and in communities for women with HRP are associated with higher levels of well-being (38). Informational support and quality educational services by healthcare providers and the possibility of communication with successful peer models can also improve well-being among women with HRP (43, 46, 47, 53).
- Interpersonal relationships
Healthy and committed marital relationships improve well-being among pregnant women, while poor marital relationships reduce it (31, 33). Moreover, healthcare providers’ empathy with pregnant women improves their well-being (43, 53).
- Coping strategies
Coping strategies can also affect well-being through reducing stress and depression, increasing engagement in recreational activities (30, 32, 33, 43), and promoting adherence to health-promoting behaviors (31, 47, 52).
- Spirituality and religiosity
Spiritual and religious beliefs and engagement in religious rituals can also improve well-being among women with HRP (34).
The consequences of well-being in HRP
The integrative review of the existing literature revealed five main consequences for well-being in HRP. These consequences were maternal health (43, 51), mother-fetus emotional attachment (41, 50), pregnancy outcomes (14, 45, 53), fetal well-being (41, 45, 55, 56), and consequences related to child’s future (55-57).
- Maternal health
Pregnant women with lower well-being are less likely to engage in health-promoting behaviors (50). Well-being is a facilitator to the achievement of physical health and is associated with lower morbidity and mortality rates (14, 27). Well-being also improves mental health among pregnant women (34).
- Mother-fetus emotional attachment
Poor maternal well-being ruins maternal image of the fetus as a real person (41) and thereby, negatively affects mother-fetus emotional attachment(50).
- Pregnancy outcomes
Poor well-being in pregnancy is associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes (45, 53) so that it can increase the likelihood of premature delivery. Well-being in pregnancy is associated with Successful pregnancy (14, 45).
- Fetal well-being
Poor maternal well-being causes physical changes in the fetus such as retarded fetal growth (45) and fetal hyperactivity. Hormonal, nervous, and epigenetic changes in the fetus are also observed in case of poor maternal well-being (55). Therefore, fetal well-being directly depends on maternal well-being (58, 59), so that improvement in maternal wellbeing reduces adverse fetal outcomes (43).
- Consequences related to child’s future
Poor maternal well-being can result in adverse neonatal and infantile consequences such as low birth weight, prematurity, increased neonatal mortality rate, hormonal and nervous changes, and motor and behavioral disorders. Moreover, the child of mothers with poor well-being in pregnancy may develop growth and development disorders, autism spectrum disorders, and behavioral and criminal disorders later in adolescence (41, 55, 56).
The definition of well-being in HRP
Well-being in HRP is a multidimensional, complex and abstract subjective concept and a cognitive and emotional self-evaluation of one’s own life in HRP. Its four main dimensions are physical, mental-emotional, social, and spiritual well-being. These dimensions are interrelated and affect each other. In the physical dimension, pregnant women with good well-being have control over their physiologic parameters and physical health conditions. In the mental-emotional dimension, women with good well-being have more positive feelings towards their pregnancy, so that they have lower concerns, fears, depression, anxiety, and stress in relation to the adverse maternal and fetal outcomes of pregnancy, are more satisfied with their conditions, and feel greater self-efficacy for managing their conditions in HRP. In the social dimension, women with good well-being in HRP are able to fulfill their roles and maintain their social interactions and have positive interpersonal relationships. In the spiritual dimension, they have meaning and purpose in life and pregnancy and establish relationships with God or a supreme power. Well-being in HRP is affected by personal and socioeconomic characteristics, physical and environmental, mental, social and behavioral contexts, and spiritual and religious beliefs. HRP among women with good well-being is associated with lower adverse maternal, fetal and infantile consequences.