Fear of childbirth among pregnant women and their partners in Turkey

Objective: The aim of this study was to identify and compare the fear of childbirth and associated factors among pregnant women and their partners. Methods: This was a descriptive and relational study. A total of 564 people, 282 women and their partners, were included in the study. Data were collected using two forms: the Personal Information Form and the Fear of Birth Scale. Results: The study found that 82.6% of the women and 54.3% of their partners had a fear of childbirth. Economic status, parity, previous birth experience, and preferred delivery method affected the fear of childbirth among the women (p = 0.000, p = 0.000, p = 0.000, and p = 0.030, respectively). Age, parity, education level, economic status, preferred delivery method, and previous birth experience of their partner affected the fear of childbirth among the men (p = 0.036, p = 0.000, p = 0.000, p = 0.004, and p = 0.000, respectively). A positive, significant, moderate relationship was found between the fear of childbirth among the women and their partners (r = 0.602, p = 0.000). Fear of childbirth affected both the women's and their partners preferred delivery method (p = 0.000 and p = 0.005, respectively). Conclusion: Partners had a fear of childbirth as well, although the rate of this fear was higher among women. Fear of childbirth caused the couples to prefer cesarean section. There was a relationship between the fear of childbirth among the women and their partners.