The Influence of Personality and Anxiety Traits on Birth Experience and Epidural Use in Vaginal Deliveries - A Cohort Study

• Published in: Women & health Vol. 60; no. 10; pp. 1141 - 1150
• Main Authors: Schaal, Nora K., Fehm, Tanja, Helbig, Martina, Fleisch, Markus, Hepp, Philip
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Taylor & Francis 25-11-2020; Taylor & Francis LLC
• Subjects: Adult; Analgesia, Epidural - statistics & numerical data; Anxiety; Anxiety - etiology; Anxiety - psychology; Birth experience; Childbirth & labor; Cohort analysis; Correlation analysis; Delivery, Obstetric - methods; Epidural; Female; health care; Health services; Humans; Medical personnel; Medicine; Neurosis; Neuroticism; Pain; Participation; Parturition - psychology; Personality; Personality Inventory; Personality traits; Pregnancy; Pregnant Women - psychology; Regression analysis; Surveys and Questionnaires; trait anxiety; Vagina; Women; pain; personality; trait anxiety; health care; Birth experience
• ISSN: 0363-0242; 1541-0331
• DOI: 10.1080/03630242.2020.1802640

A positive birth experience for the mother is an important goal in obstetric health care and is influenced by several factors. For this study, 186 women filled in questionnaires between 24 and 72 hours after giving birth vaginally. We evaluated the Big-Five personality traits (extraversion, neuroticism, openness, conscientiousness and agreeableness), trait anxiety, different dimensions of childbirth experience and pain management. Correlation analysis revealed that trait anxiety and neuroticism were negatively associated with several dimensions of the birth experience. Furthermore, conscientiousness and extraversion were positively correlated with the dimension Participation. Regression analysis for the individual dimensions and overall score respectively, confirmed the independent impact of anxiety trait on Perceived Safety, Participation and Professional Support and the overall score as well as of neuroticism on Perceived Safety and conscientiousness on Participation. The significant regression models showed small R2-scores (.084-.154). The birth experience did not differ whether the women received an epidural or not. Women who did not receive an epidural displayed higher scores on the personality trait conscientiousness. The study highlights small but important associations between personality traits and birth experience in vaginal births which should sensitize the medical staff when supporting women during labor.