A Comparison of Fear of Childbirth and Labor Pain Intensity among Primiparous and Multiparous Women: A Cross-Sectional Study

Background & aim: Fear of Childbirth (FOC) can be seen as an anxiety disorder or as a phobia that women experience in relation to pregnancy and childbirth. We conducted this study to compare the intensity of labor pain with the FOC in multiparous and primiparous women. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted using convenience sampling on 432 pregnant women in Babol, Iran, between 2018 and 2019. All pregnant women completed the demographic and FOC questionnaires, as well as labor pain intensity, four times measured using a visual analog scale (VAS). Data were analyzed using SPSS version 16 software and descriptive and analytical indices. Results: FOC in primiparous women was significantly higher than in multiparous mothers (MD: 12.08<0.001, P). The multivariate linear regression test showed that after adjusting the intervening and obstetric variables, in terms of the intensity of pain in the active phase of labor (MD: 0.07; CI 95% -0.32, 0.47; P=0.71) and the expulsion of the fetus (MD: 0.02; CI 95% -0.38, 0.44; P=0.89), there was no statistically significant difference between primiparous and multiparous women. However, a statistically significant difference was found in placental discharge (MD: 0.52; CI 95% 0.01, 1.02; P = 0.043). Conclusion: FOC in primiparous women was significantly higher than that of multiparous women after adjusting the intervening variables. The results of this study provide basic information for policy makers to pay more attention to reducing the fear of childbirth, especially in primiparous women