The Relationship between Happiness and Fear of Childbirth in Nulliparous Women

Background & aim: Happiness is a mental or emotional state of well-being. Happy individuals tend to interpret and process feeling in a positive way. Accordingly, the response to the pain may alter due to the effects of subjective elements on the pain perception. This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between the level of contentment and fear of childbirth (FOC) in nulliparous women referring to the healthcare centers of Mashhad, Iran. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 370 nulliparous women who were selected through multistage sampling method from urban healthcare centers in Mashhad, Iran, 2014. Data collected using demographic and obstetric questionnaire, Oxford Happiness Questionnaire, and Childbirth Attitude Questionnaire (CAQ) (an instrument for measuring the FOC). Data analyzed using Kolmogorov-Smirnov, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), independent samples t-test, regression, Kruskal-Wallis, Chi-square, Tukey honest significant difference (HSD), Mann-Whitney U, and Spearman and Pearson correlation coefficient tests with SPSS software version 11.5. Results: The mean levels of happiness and FOC were 123.97±18.82 and 45.80±7.57, respectively. There was a significant correlation between happiness and FOC (P<0.001, r=-0.285), i.e. happier women experienced less FOC. Also Vaginal delivery was the preferred choice of the happier women (P=0.033, t=2.152). Conclusion: Considering the relationship between happiness and FOC, the necessary measures should be taken to improve happiness in pregnant women in order to increase their tendency toward normal vaginal childbirth.

Keywords:

Delivery , fear , Happiness , Nulliparous