An investigation of the mediating effect of self-esteem in the relationship between partner support and anxiety among women of advanced maternal age

This study aimed to examine the association between partner support and anxiety and to explore the mediating effect of self-esteem in this relationship among women of advanced maternal age in Korea. The data were collected from 113 pregnant Korean women aged more than 35 years, who visited two women's hospitals in D city, Korea. Partner support. Self-esteem and anxiety were assessed using self-reported questionnaires. The mediating effect of self-esteem was analyzed using linear regression analysis and the Sobel test. Self-esteem partially mediated the relationship between partner support and anxiety. The evidence from this study suggests that interventions focusing on both partner support and self-esteem might be more useful in decreasing anxiety among women of advanced maternal age in Korea, as compared to interventions targeting only one of the two.