Prevalence of fear of childbirth, its risk factors and birth outcomes in Australian multiparous women

BACKGROUND Fear of childbirth (FoC) is a widespread issue that impacts the health and well-being of mothers and newborns. However, there is inconsistency regarding the prevalence of FoC in the and there is limited research on the prevalence of FoC among Australian pregnant women. AIM To investigate the prevalence of FoC, its risk factors and birth outcomes in Australian multiparous women. METHODS In this prospective cohort quantitative study, 212 multiparous women were recruited from antenatal clinics at Westmead Hospital in western Sydney from 2019 to 2022. Pregnant women who attended antenatal visits and met the inclusion criteria signed the consent forms and completed several online questionnaires at baseline. After they gave birth, their birth outcomes were collected from the hospital’s medical record database. The data were analyzed using SPSS software and descriptive statistics, χ 2 test, independent samples t -test, and multivariable logistic regression analysis. RESULTS Out of 212 participants, 24% experienced a high level of FoC and 7% experienced severe FoC. The χ 2 test results revealed that a family income of ≤ $100000, no alcohol intake during pregnancy, pre-existing health problems, previous caesarean section (emergency or planned), and previous neutral/traumatic childbirth experiences were significantly associated with higher levels of FoC (P < 0.05). Other risk factors included being moderately to very worried and fearful about the upcoming birth, having severe to extremely severe anxiety throughout pregnancy, and expressing low relationship satisfaction. According to multivariable logistic regression, the odds of a high level of FoC were higher in women with anxiety, a history of traumatic childbirth experience, a history of sexual assault during childhood, pre-existing health problems, and lower relationship satisfaction (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION High-severe levels of FoC are experienced by pregnant multiparous women and are affected by several demographic factors. However, due to the small sample size in the present study, further studies with larger sample sizes are required to draw a firm conclusion on the prevalence of severe FoC among multiparous women and its associated risk factors and birth outcomes.