Mode of delivery preferences: the role of childbirth fear among nulliparous women

IntroductionThe increasing Cesarean Section (CS) rates may be attributed to women’s increasing requests for elective CS. High Fear of Childbirth (FOC), especially among nulliparous women, may be significantly associated with CS preference without medical indications. The current study aims to investigate the impact of childbirth fear on the mode of delivery preference among nulliparous women.MethodsA cross-sectional correlational study was performed in the Maternal and Children Hospital (MCH) from the beginning of October 2022 to the end of February 2023 and incorporated a convenience sample of 342 nulliparous women. The data was collected using a self-reported questionnaire comprising participants’ demographic and obstetrics characteristics and the FOC questionnaire. A logistic regression model examined the relationship between CS preference and the other independent variables.ResultsThe results indicated that 74.3% of the nulliparous women preferred vaginal delivery, while 25.7% preferred Cesarean Section. Concerning childbirth-related fear, the highest mean scores were related to fear of clinical procedures, fear of harming or distressing the infant, and fear of pain 5.19 ± 1.13, 5.12 ± 1.27, and 5.09 ± 1.22, respectively. High FOC was present among 74.6%, moderate in 17.3%, and severe in 6.7% of the participants. Logistic regression analysis showed maternal age and monthly income were the significant sociodemographic determinants of choosing CS as the preferred delivery mode (p