The prevalence and associated factors of fear of childbirth among Turkish pregnant women

Abstract

ABSTRACT Objective This study was conducted to determine the prevalence of fear of childbirth and affecting factors in pregnant women in Turkey. Materials and methods This was a cross-sectional study and included a total of 2025. Pregnant Women Assessment, some variables related to previous and current perinatal processes and Wijma Delivery Expectancy/Experience Questionnaire (version A) were used for data collection. Findings In this sample, 42.4% of the women reported fear of childbirth. What the women were afraid of most was the development of unwanted conditions at childbirth, obscurity/uncertainty, and negative attitudes of health professionals. The factors causing fear of childbirth were the low education level, unemployment status, low financial status, stillbirth, unplanned pregnancy, indecisiveness about the type of delivery, not attending prenatal education programs, negative effects of other people, insufficient social support, confiding in the healthcare centre and health professional, negative, and indecisive birth perceptions, prior negative birth experiences and not feeling ready for childbirth (p < 0.001). Conclusions The prevalence of fear of childbirth in this Turkish sample, especially in the multipara is higher than in Western countries. Causes of fear of childbirth can vary with countries and even with each region of a country.