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Psychosocial characteristics of women and their partners fearing vaginal childbirth

  1. Terhi Saisto1,
  2. Katariina Salmela-Aro2,
  3. Jari-Erik Nurmi3,
  4. Erja Halmesmäki1

Article first published online: 22 DEC 2003

DOI: 10.1111/j.1471-0528.2001.00122.x

Issue

BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics & Gynaecology

BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics & Gynaecology

Volume 108, Issue 5, pages 492–498, May 2001

Additional Information

How to Cite

Saisto, T., Salmela-Aro, K., Nurmi, J.-E. and Halmesmäki, E. (2001), Psychosocial characteristics of women and their partners fearing vaginal childbirth. BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, 108: 492–498. doi: 10.1111/j.1471-0528.2001.00122.x

Author Information

  1. 1

    Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Helsinki University Central Hospital, Finland

  2. 2

    Department of Psychology, Helsinki University, Finland

  3. 3

    Department of Psychology, Jyväskylä University, Finland

**Dr T. Saisto, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Helsinki University Central Hospital, Haartmaninkatu 2, FIN-00290 Helsinki, Finland

Publication History

  1. Issue published online: 22 DEC 2003
  2. Article first published online: 22 DEC 2003
  3. Accepted 9 January 2001

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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 χ2= 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.

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