Psychosocial characteristics of women and their partners fearing vaginal childbirth.

OBJECTIVES

To examine the personal characteristics and socio-economic background of women and their partners fearing vaginal childbirth.

DESIGN

Questionnaire survey by the 30th week of pregnancy.

SETTING

Sixteen outpatient maternity centres in the capital area of Finland.

PARTICIPANTS

Two hundred and seventy-eight women and their partners.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Personality traits, socio-economic factors, life and partnership satisfaction and pregnancy- and delivery-associated anxiety and fear.

RESULTS

The more anxiety, neuroticism, vulnerability, depression, low self-esteem, dissatisfaction with the partnership, and lack of social support the women reported, the more they showed pregnancy-related anxiety and fear of vaginal delivery. In multiple regression analyses psychological variables of the woman contributed most to the prediction of pregnancy-related anxiety (increase in R2 = 0.20, P < 0.001), the strongest predictor being general anxiety (beta = 0.28, P < 0.001). Lack of support contributed most to the prediction of severe fear of vaginal delivery (increase in chi2 = 13.66, P < 0.01), the strongest predictor being dissatisfaction with the partnership (Wald 8.61, P < 0.01). Life-dissatisfaction reported by the partner contributed to pregnancy-related anxiety and his dissatisfaction with the partnership contributed to the woman's fear of vaginal delivery.

CONCLUSIONS

The personalities of a pregnant woman and her partner, and their relationship, influences the woman's attitude to her pregnancy and her forthcoming delivery.