THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PREGNANT WOMEN' EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE AND FEAR OF CHILDBIRTH , READINESS FOR CHILDBIRTH AND WAYS OF COPING WITH STRESS

Aim: This study was carried out to determine the relationship between pregnant women's emotional intelligence (EI), Fear of Labor (FOC), Readiness for Labor (RFC), and ways of overcoming the stress. Material and Method: The research is descriptive-correlational. The study was carried out with 665 pregnant women who were in the third trimester and admitted to the obstetrics and gynecology clinics in Nothern Turkey. The data were collected using the Personal Information Form, Emotional Intelligence Assessment Scale (EIAS), Prenatal Self-Evaluation Questionnaire (PSEQ) and Ways of Coping Checklist (WCCL). Percentage, mean +/- standard deviation and median, Kolmogorov Smirnov test, Pearson Correlation and Multiple Regression analysis were used to analyze the data. Results: In the study, the pregnant women's emotional intelligence (EI) score average was 126.30 +/- 28, the RFC average was 29.25 +/- 4.77 and the FOC average was 27.46 +/- 4.58. Self-Confident Approach, Optimistic Approach and Finding Social Support dimensions of the Stress Coping Styles Scale in Pregnant Women were found to be above the average score, and the Desperate Approach and Submissive Approach dimensions scores were below the average score. It was determined that there was a weakly significant positive correlation between the total EI scores of the pregnant women and the mean scores of RFC, FOC and coping with stress (p<0.001, r = 0.283), (p<0.001, r = 0.355), (p < 0.001, r = 0.317). Conclusion: It was determined that there was a weakly significant positive correlation between the total EI scores of the pregnant women and the mean scores of RFC, FOC and overcoming the stress styles. In this respect, it was concluded that the emotional intelligence levels of pregnant women need to be improved, their RFC and their FOC are low, and that they display a partially effective attitude in their coping style with stress.