Couples' attitudes toward childbirth participation: relationship to evaluation of labor and delivery.

The article reports a correlational, partial replication study investigating the relationship between couples' prenatal attitudes toward childbirth participation and perceptions of their labor and delivery experiences. The Prenatal Attitude toward Childbirth Participation Scale was administered to 119 couples before and after attendance at a childbirth education course. The Labor Delivery Evaluation Scale, the Labor Agency Scale, and the Delivery Agency Scale were administered after delivery. Results showed that childbirth education affected couples' anticipated levels of control during labor and delivery. Anticipated and perceived levels of control were associated, and perceived levels of control correlated with overall evaluations of childbirth experiences. These findings suggest that childbirth educators and health care providers should focus on participants' opportunities to exercise control during childbirth and on identifying emergency situations during which control must be relinquished to the health care team.