H M Haines1, J F Pallant2, J Fenwick3, J Gamble4, D K Creedy4, J Toohill4, I Hildingsson5. 1. Department of Women's and Children's Health, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden; Rural Health Academic Centre, The University of Melbourne, 49 Graham St, Shepparton, Victoria, Australia; Northeast Health, Green St, Wangaratta, Victoria, Australia. Electronic address: hhaines@unimelb.edu.au. 2. Rural Health Academic Centre, The University of Melbourne, 49 Graham St, Shepparton, Victoria, Australia. 3. Griffith Health Institute and School of Nursing and Midwifery, Griffith University, Meadowbrook, Queensland, Australia; Gold Coast University Hospital, 1 Hospital Boulevard, Southport, Queensland 4215, Australia. 4. Griffith Health Institute and School of Nursing and Midwifery, Griffith University, Meadowbrook, Queensland, Australia. 5. Department of Women's and Children's Health, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: The WDEQ-A is the most widely used measure of childbirth fear in pregnant women; however there is increasing discussion in the literature that simpler, more culturally transferrable tools may offer a better solution to identifying fearful women in clinical practice. AIM: To compare the two item Fear of Birth Scale (FOBS) with the 33 item WDEQ-A in a large cohort of Australian pregnant women. METHOD: Self-report questionnaires during second trimester including Wijma Delivery Expectancy Questionnaire (WDEQ-A) and Fear of Birth Scale (FOBS). Correlation of FOBS and WDEQ-A was tested using Spearman's correlation coefficients. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve assessed the sensitivity and specificity of possible cut-points on the FOBS against WDEQ-A cut-point of ≥85. Sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values were determined. Fearful and non-fearful women as classified by both instruments were compared for differences in demographic, psycho-social and obstetric characteristics. RESULTS: 1410 women participated. The correlation between the instruments was strong (Spearman's Rho = 0.66, p < 0.001). The area under the ROC was 0.89 indicating high sensitivity with a FOBS cut-point of 54. Sensitivity was 89%, specificity 79% and Youden index 0.68. Positive predictive value was 85% and negative predictive value 79%. Both instruments identified high fear as significantly associated with first time mothers, previous emergency caesarean and women with self-reported anxiety and/or depression. Additionally FOBS identified a significant association between fearful women and preference for caesarean. CONCLUSION: This study supports the use of the FOBS in clinical practice to identify childbirth fear in pregnant women. Crown
BACKGROUND: The WDEQ-A is the most widely used measure of childbirth fear in pregnant women; however there is increasing discussion in the literature that simpler, more culturally transferrable tools may offer a better solution to identifying fearful women in clinical practice. AIM: To compare the two item Fear of Birth Scale (FOBS) with the 33 item WDEQ-A in a large cohort of Australian pregnant women. METHOD: Self-report questionnaires during second trimester including Wijma Delivery Expectancy Questionnaire (WDEQ-A) and Fear of Birth Scale (FOBS). Correlation of FOBS and WDEQ-A was tested using Spearman's correlation coefficients. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve assessed the sensitivity and specificity of possible cut-points on the FOBS against WDEQ-A cut-point of ≥85. Sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values were determined. Fearful and non-fearful women as classified by both instruments were compared for differences in demographic, psycho-social and obstetric characteristics. RESULTS: 1410 women participated. The correlation between the instruments was strong (Spearman's Rho = 0.66, p < 0.001). The area under the ROC was 0.89 indicating high sensitivity with a FOBS cut-point of 54. Sensitivity was 89%, specificity 79% and Youden index 0.68. Positive predictive value was 85% and negative predictive value 79%. Both instruments identified high fear as significantly associated with first time mothers, previous emergency caesarean and women with self-reported anxiety and/or depression. Additionally FOBS identified a significant association between fearful women and preference for caesarean. CONCLUSION: This study supports the use of the FOBS in clinical practice to identify childbirth fear in pregnant women. Crown
Authors: C Nilsson; E Hessman; H Sjöblom; A Dencker; E Jangsten; M Mollberg; H Patel; C Sparud-Lundin; H Wigert; C Begley Journal: BMC Pregnancy Childbirth Date: 2018-01-12 Impact factor: 3.007
Authors: Elisabet Rondung; Elin Ternström; Ingegerd Hildingsson; Helen M Haines; Örjan Sundin; Johanna Ekdahl; Annika Karlström; Birgitta Larsson; Birgitta Segeblad; Rebecca Baylis; Christine Rubertsson Journal: JMIR Ment Health Date: 2018-08-10