Article
Relationship between self-efficacy, fear of childbirth and birth mode as well as the individual breastfeeding history and the duration of breastfeeding of one’s own child – results of a longitudinal study
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Authors
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Annette Kluge-Bischoff
- Dekanat der medizinischen Fakultät der Universität Augsburg, Deutschland; Institut für Gesundheit und Soziales, Deutschland
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Tanja Kistler
- Hochschule für Oekonomie und Management München, Deutschland
| Published: | July 28, 2022 |
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Outline
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Background: Obstetric care in Germany is characterized by high intervention rates. Exemplary of this is the massive increase in caesarean sections in the last 30 years to more than a third of all births. The increasing preference for caesarean section is partly due to women’s reported and increasing fear of childbirth. Self-efficacy is the personal belief that difficult situations can be successfully managed through one’s own efforts. Birth anxiety is a multifactorial construct, one aspect of which concerns the birth mode. Initial studies show an influence of birth-specific self-efficacy on birth anxiety. The relationship between self-efficacy, birth anxiety and birth mode has been little studied to date and is addressed in the present study. Furthermore, it is investigated whether parenting behavior and the knowledge of whether one was breastfed oneself have an influence on birth-specific self-efficacy and the duration of breastfeeding of one’s own child.
Aim: The aim of the study is to identify the interrelationships of birth-specific self-efficacy, birth anxiety and birth mode, and to identify predictors of birth-specific self-efficacy, birth anxiety and a successful breastfeeding relationship.
Methods: The study in the design of a prospective, longitudinal cohort study ascertains the mentioned constructs by means of validated measurement instruments (CBSEI, FEE, GAS). The modelling is done with linear regressions and moderation analyses.
Results: Self-efficacy and birth anxiety show a significant negative association (b=-0.060, SE=0.020, p=0.003). Birth anxiety has a significant effect on birth mode (b=0.02, SE=0.008, p=0.007). Women who were self-breastfed as babies were significantly more likely to show long-term breastfeeding success (b=1.60, SE=0.43, p=<0.001). The results also suggest that a parenting style characterized by control and overprotection has an influence on a woman’s birth-specific self-efficacy, depending on her level of education.
Relevancy: The results of the study are relevant for the psychosocial care of pregnant women by midwives and gynecologists, as well as the accompaniment of women during the breastfeeding period.
Conclusion: Self-efficacy influences birth anxiety and thus the birth mode. Strengthening birth-specific self-efficacy should be the goal of antenatal care. Standardized evaluation of self-efficacy in antenatal care could in future identify women with a pronounced fear of childbirth. An appropriate intervention can subsequently strengthen the self-efficacy of pregnant women and reduce birth fears. The intervention rate, especially caesarean section deliveries and the administration of epidurals, could be reduced as a result. The relationship between a woman having breastfed herself and the long-term success of breastfeeding can be used in the differentiated support of women who have recently given birth.
Ethics and conflicts of interest: A vote on ethics was not necessary. The research was financed by own resources. There are no conflicts of interest.
The PDF file of the poster submitted for the meeting is available in German as Attachment 1 [Attach. 1].
