Risk taking propensity in pregnancy - Longitudinal study

Pregnancy induces many physiological and psychological changes associated with a suite of new behaviours developing to increase the chance for an offspring survival. This study aimed to investigate whether risk-taking propensity changes during pregnancy. Eighty one healthy, pregnant women (age M = 29.63, SD = 3.79) participated in the longitudinal study. Participants completed DOSPERT questionnaire in each pregnancy trimester. Ratings of risk-taking, risk perception and expected benefits varied among risk domains with social risk perceived as the most risky and the most beneficial across all three trimesters. The willingness to engage in risk-taking did not change during pregnancy, but the risk perception and perceived benefits changed in some risk domains. Risk perception was the highest and the expected benefits were the lowest in the first, the most vulnerable, pregnancy trimester. This may confirm the hypothesis that the risk-taking is a complex construct which may be influenced by cognitive and physiological changes related to pregnancy.