Relationship between the anxiety of labor companion and labor satisfaction among laboring women

Abstract

Abstract The presence of a known labor companion was shown to improve childbirth satisfaction. However, a companion’s anxiety might affect the satisfaction of laboring women. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the relationship between the anxiety of labor companions and childbirth satisfaction among laboring women. This cross-sectional study was conducted on primiparous women who gave birth with a relative as a labor companion in a hospital in Sabzevar, Iran, between December 2020 and November 2021. The demographic checklist and Mackey Childbirth Satisfaction Rating Scale were filled out for laboring women, and the Spielberg Trait Anxiety (STAI) was filled out for companions. One-hundred fifty-seven laboring women (mean age 25.76 (SD = 4.99) years and their companions (mean age 40.54 (SD = 10.67 years) were analyzed. Moderate and severe anxiety were found in 98 (62.4%) and 21 (13.4%) participants, respectively. Favorable childbirth satisfaction was reported by 64 (40.7%) laboring women. No significant relationship was observed between the companion’s anxiety score and laboring women’s childbirth satisfaction (r=-0.117, p = 0.145), even after adjusting for confounders (partial r=-0.092, p = 0.276). The findings of this study revealed no significant relationship between companion anxiety and childbirth satisfaction in laboring women in hospital settings.

Keywords

• Pregnancy
• Patient satisfaction
• Delivery
• Obstetric* / psychology
• Delivery
• Obstetric/methods