Attitudes toward life and death in Japanese women across pregnancy and postpartum.

Abstract

Attitudes toward life and death often shift during the perinatal period. However, previous research has been qualitative or cross-sectional, leaving longitudinal patterns largely unexplored. This study examined changes in attitudes toward life and death among Japanese women from pregnancy to eight months postpartum. A total of 1,464 women completed an online questionnaire assessing sociodemographic variables and attitudes toward life and death, and 496 completed the same questionnaire approximately three months later. Linear mixed-effects models indicated modest but significant increases in Fear of Death and Concern for Others after Death across the perinatal transition. Analyses restricted to participants who completed both surveys yielded similar results. These associations remained after adjustment for age, educational attainment, religious faith, and bereavement experience. The findings suggest that the transition to motherhood may be associated with shifts in specific attitudes toward life and death, particularly Fear of Death and Concern for Others after Death.