Women's attitude toward analgesia during labor--a comparison between 1995 and 2001.
OBJECTIVE
To compare the attitude of gravid women towards analgesia during labor in 1995 and 2001, in Israel.


METHODS
Women in the third trimester of pregnancy were asked to complete an antepartum questionnaire regarding the mode of analgesia they preferred during their labor. The questionnaire was distributed twice, once in 1995 and again in 2001, in order to study changing attitudes.


RESULTS
Study participants included 114 women in 1995 and 125 in 2001. There were no differences between the groups in maternal age, gestational age, gravity, parity, or level of education. In 1995, 57% of the women were interested in having epidural analgesia during labor, compared to 66% in 2001 (P < 0.001). The preference for opioids decreased from 31.5% in 1995 to 18.5% in 2001 (P < 0.001). In 1995, none of the women questioned opted for avoiding all kinds of analgesia, whereas in 2001, 8% did so.


CONCLUSIONS
Women's attitudes to analgesia during labor have changed over the last 6 years. Epidural block has become very popular, while opioids use lost its popularity; at the same time, there has been an increase in the number of women who prefer to avoid all kinds of analgesia during labor.
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Women's Comprehensive Health Center, Rabin Medical Center, Beilinson Campus, Petah Tikva 49100, Israel.
Eran R
ER
Horowitz
Yariv
Y
Yogev
Avi
A
Ben-Haroush
Boris
B
Kaplan
D000328:Adult; D016362:Analgesia, Obstetrical / Q000379:methods* / Q000523:psychology*; D036861:Delivery, Obstetric / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D007743:Labor, Obstetric / Q000523:psychology*; D010298:Parity; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D011247:Pregnancy; D011263:Pregnancy Trimester, Third; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires