ArticleBMC pregnancy and childbirth2024
Pre- and postpartum fear of childbirth and its predictors among rural women in China.
Article in BMC pregnancy and childbirth, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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Who cites it
6 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- The effect of prenatal education on the fear of childbirth: A systematic review and meta-analysis.Archives of women's mental health · 2026Pooled it
- Global prevalence and associated factors of severe fear of childbirth: a systematic review and Meta-Analysis.Archives of women's mental health · 2026Pooled it
- Psychological dilemmas and distress among Chinese primiparas during the postpartum transition underlying implicit cultural norms: a phenomenological inquiry.BMC psychology · 2025Article
- Investigating health literacy and its associations with fear of childbirth in pregnant women: a cross-sectional study.Scientific reports · 2025Article
- The relationship between fear of birth and prenatal attachment and childbirth self-efficacy perception in Primigravida women.BMC pregnancy and childbirth · 2025Article
- Construction and Validation of a Model for Predicting Fear of Childbirth: A Cross-Sectional Population Study via Machine Learning.International journal of women's health · 2025Article
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9 authors.
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Abstract
backgroundFear of childbirth (FOC) can influence both maternal and child health. Research on FOC in China is scarce, especially on rural women. This study aimed to assess pre- and postpartum FOC and its predictors among Chinese rural women.
methodsThis was a prospective correlation study. A total of 569 women completed the prenatal questionnaire in the third trimester, and 477 of them completed the postpartum questionnaire within three days after childbirth. Maternal socio-demographic information, clinical information, childbirth self-efficacy and prenatal and postpartum FOC were investigated. FOC was evaluated using the Wijma Childbirth Expectancy/ Experience Questionnaire (WDEQ). Descriptive, bivariate, multivariate linear regression analysis, univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed.
resultsThe mean pre- and postpartum FOC scores were 64.5 (standard deviation: 25.1) and 64.3 (standard deviation: 23.9), respectively, with 20.8% of women reporting severe fear before childbirth and 18.2% after childbirth. Multivariate linear regression analysis revealed predictors for higher levels of prenatal FOC including higher education level, nullipara, higher monthly household income, lower family support, and lower childbirth self-efficacy (p < 0.05) and the predictors for higher levels of postpartum FOC included unemployed status, lower childbirth self-efficacy, and higher prenatal FOC (p < 0.05). Multivariate logistic regression showed that higher childbirth self-efficacy reduced the likelihood of severe prenatal FOC (OR: 0.99, p < 0.001), while severe prenatal FOC increased the likelihood of severe postpartum FOC (OR: 3.57, p < 0.001).
conclusionThe rural women have high levels of FOC before and after childbirth, with approximately 20% experiencing severe FOC during both periods. Higher education level, nullipara, higher monthly household income, lower family support, and lower childbirth self-efficacy are predictors of heightened prenatal FOC. Unemployed status, lower childbirth self-efficacy, and higher prenatal FOC are predictors of heightened postpartum FOC. Notably, enhancing childbirth self-efficacy emerges as crucial in mitigating severe prenatal FOC, while severe prenatal FOC significantly increases the likelihood of severe postpartum FOC. The development of targeted intervention strategies for the above factors can help reduce women's FOC level and improve their overall pregnancy and childbirth experience.
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