Investigation of the relationship between fear of childbirth and social supports of pregnant women in the third trimester in Turkey

Abstract

Purpose: To investigate the relationship between fear of childbirth and social supports of pregnant women in the third trimester. Materials and Methods: The sample of this cross-sectional study comprised 302 pregnant women who were admitted to the gynecology and obstetrics clinic of a state hospital in Turkey. Data were collected with the Personal Information Form, Wijma Delivery Expect ancy/Experience Questionnaire (W-DEQ-A), and Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS). Results: While no relationship was determined between the mean total scores obtained from the W-DEQ-A and MSPSS scales (p > 0.05), statistically significant positive correlations were determined between family and friends (r = 0.206,p = 0.000), family, and significant others (r = 0.193, p = 0.001), and friends and significant others (r = 0.156,p = 0.006) subscales of the MSPSS (p < 0.05). Conclusion: As the social support received from the family increased so did the support from friends and significant others, and as the support received from significant others increased so did the support from friends.