Risk Perception and Protective Behaviours Regarding COVID-19 Among Pregnant People in Sweden

Sammanfattning: Few have been left unaffected by the outbreak and consequent impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. One group of people, namely those pregnant during the pandemic, faced a unique set of circumstances that this research has aimed to understand. The purpose of this research was to contribute to filling the knowledge gap by delving into the risk perception and protective behaviours adapted by pregnant people in Sweden in relation to Covid-19. This qualitative research was conducted through semi-structured interviews, based on the Theory of Planned Behaviour by Icek Ajzen, with members of the target group. A link between the risk perception of the participants and the protective behaviours they adhered to was found. It appeared that a favourable attitude towards recommendations from the authorities, favourable subjective norms in the social circle and a realistic level of perceived behavioural control formed a risk perception that in turn led to a protective performative behaviour. This result aligns with the reasoning of the Theory of Planned Behaviour. The enabling environment surrounding the participant as well as the arguably poorly communicated information directed at pregnant people during the pandemic were also found to have had part in determining the perceived risks and performed behaviour. Similarly, the unique conditions of pregnancy, being that it lasts for a limited time and has a clear end goal, also appeared to be an important factor. The influence of this range of factors points towards the complexity of human behaviour, which have become even more apparent due to the pandemic.