Roosevelt Lee, Maguire Sarah, Sharma Akshay, Zielinski Ruth
School of Nursing, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.
Midwifery Service, University of Michigan Health, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.
Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2024 Dec 11;21(12):1657. doi: 10.3390/ijerph21121657.
Explicit and implicit anti-fat biases are widespread among healthcare providers, leading to significant negative consequences for pregnant people, including poorer health outcomes. Fear of childbirth (FOC) can affect the length of labor, increase the risk of cesarean delivery, and negatively influence a new parent's perception of infant bonding. This study investigated the impact of perceived anti-fat bias on FOC among pregnant people. Data were gathered from 329 pregnant people recruited from three large academic prenatal centers in the United States and via social media. Participants completed a survey that included validated instruments measuring perceptions of anti-fat bias and FOC. Participants perceiving anti-fat bias reported higher FOC. Black participants perceiving anti-fat bias reported higher FOC. These findings suggest that perceived anti-fat bias from providers is associated with FOC for pregnant people, particularly those who identify as Black. Interventions to educate providers on these important concepts could help improve pregnant people's experience within the healthcare system.
显性和隐性的反胖偏见在医疗服务提供者中普遍存在，给孕妇带来了严重的负面后果，包括更差的健康结果。分娩恐惧（FOC）会影响产程时长，增加剖宫产风险，并对新妈妈与婴儿建立亲密关系的认知产生负面影响。本研究调查了孕妇中感知到的反胖偏见对分娩恐惧的影响。数据收集自美国三个大型学术产前中心招募的329名孕妇以及通过社交媒体招募的孕妇。参与者完成了一项调查，其中包括测量反胖偏见感知和分娩恐惧的有效工具。感知到反胖偏见的参与者报告的分娩恐惧程度更高。感知到反胖偏见的黑人参与者报告的分娩恐惧程度更高。这些发现表明，医疗服务提供者的反胖偏见感知与孕妇的分娩恐惧有关，尤其是那些自我认同为黑人的孕妇。对医疗服务提供者进行这些重要概念的教育干预，可能有助于改善孕妇在医疗系统中的体验。
