title: Attitudinal and demographic factors influencing mothers' choice of childbirth procedures.
abstract: The purpose of this study was to determine how the attitudinal and demographic characteristics of pregnant women influence their choice of childbirth procedure. The Fuchs-Self pregnancy research questionnaire was distributed to 114 third-trimester women at prenatal visits. Women who planned a prepared birth tended to be better educated (p less than 0.02) and to have less stereotyped thinking about child rearing (p less than 0.04) and more belief in reciprocity (i.e., two-way communications between mother and infant) (p less than 0.01). Women who chose not to use medication had more belief in reciprocity (p less than 0.02) and more children (p less than 0.02). Women who elected rooming-in at the hospital or a birth center had higher scores on the reciprocity subscale (p less than 0.02). Women who chose nonhospital births tended to report higher family support for general activities (p less than 0.10), but they reported lower family support for the pregnancy itself (p less than 0.04). The belief in reciprocity was the best predictor of the type of birth chosen (r=0.31).
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001294:Attitude to Health; D002755:Choice Behavior; D003710:Demography; D004522:Educational Status; D005190:Family; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D009034:Mother-Child Relations; D009035:Mothers / Q000523:psychology*; D009321:Natural Childbirth; D011247:Pregnancy; D011263:Pregnancy Trimester, Third; D011295:Prenatal Care; D012386:Rooming-in Care; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013239:Stereotyped Behavior; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires