Cent Eur J Nurs Midw 2017, 8(4):742-748 | DOI: 10.15452/CEJNM.2017.08.0027

FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH CHILDBIRTH - RELATED FEAR AMONG SLOVAK WOMEN

Lucia Mazúchová1,*, Zuzana ©kodová1, Simona Kelčíková1, Alena Rabárová2
1 Department of Midwifery, Jessenius Faculty of Medicine in Martin, Comenius University in Bratislava, Slovakia
2 Department of Midwifery, Jessenius Faculty of Medicine in Martin, Comenius University in Bratislava, Slovakia (student)

Aim: Aim of the study was to examine the intensity of childbirth-related fear, its components and relationship with selected variables (age, parity, and delivery history) among pregnant women in Slovakia.

Design: The study was designed as a descriptive cross-sectional study.

Methods: A cross-sectional study, 156 pregnant women participated in the research (age 29.7 ± 4.73). The Wijma Delivery Expectancy/Experience Questionnaire (W-DEQ, version A) was used to assess the intensity of childbirth-related fear. A short questionnaire of our own design was used to measure the components of child-related fear. Correlation analysis, ANOVA, and linear regression were employed.

Results: The average intensity of child-related fear in the research sample was 68.8 (± 11.6), extreme fear was identified among 9.6% of pregnant women. Child-related fear and age were significantly negatively correlated (R = -0.16; p = 0.05). Results of ANOVA showed significant differences in intensity of fear according to delivery history (F = 4.58; p = 0.005). In the linear regression model, parity and delivery history were shown to be significant predictors of fear of childbirth. The most prevalent components of childbirth-related fear were pain (21.2%), prolonged labor (19.2%), and use of forceps or vacuum extraction (17.6%).

Conclusion: Being a primipara, or perceiving a previous labor as complicated were significant factors influencing the fear of childbirth in our sample. The identification of the components and related factors of childbirth-related fear is important in planning effective intervention strategies aimed at anxiety prevention during pregnancy, and contributes to improvement in the quality of life of pregnant women.

Keywords: content of fear, childbirth-related fear, childbirth-related fear prevention, predictors of childbirth-related fear, pregnant women

Received: May 22, 2017; Accepted: June 12, 2017; Published: September 30, 2017  Show citation

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Mazúchová L, ©kodová Z, Kelčíková S, Rabárová A. FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH CHILDBIRTH - RELATED FEAR AMONG SLOVAK WOMEN. Central European Journal of Nursing and Midwifery. 2017;8(4):742-748. doi: 10.15452/CEJNM.2017.08.0027.
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