Abstract
Background
Fear of childbirth is common during pregnancy but rarely assessed in clinical practice.
The Fear of Birth Scale has been proposed as a valid measure suitable for assessing
fear of birth in an antenatal clinical context. To make sure that the scale makes
sense in relation to the known constructs of fear of birth, it is important to find
out what women think when responding to the Fear of Birth Scale.
Aim
To report what women in mid-pregnancy think when assessing fear of birth on the Fear
of Birth Scale.
Methods
A qualitative design using semi-structured interviews with a think aloud technique
was used. Thirty-one women were recruited in gestational week 17–20. Content analysis
was conducted to describe the different dimensions of fear of birth.
Findings
Worry was described as unspecific feelings and thoughts, often with a negative loading.
Fear was described as a strong feeling connected to something specific. Furthermore,
the women thought about aspects that influence their worries and fears and explained
the strategies that helped them to cope with their fear of birth.
Conclusion
Women could clearly assess, describe, and discuss fear of birth using the Fear of
Birth Scale. This supports the use of the Fear of Birth Scale in clinical settings
as a starting point for further dialogue about women's fear of birth. The dialogue
may identify women's need for information, treatment, and referral when necessary.
Keywords
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: December 19, 2015
Accepted:
November 24,
2015
Received in revised form:
November 23,
2015
Received:
September 2,
2015
Identification
Copyright
© 2015 Australian College of Midwives. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
