Kontakt 2023, 25(4):292-297 | DOI: 10.32725/kont.2023.047

Psychosocial factors affecting women's satisfaction with birthNursing - Original article

Kateřina Ratislavová¹, Eva Hendrych Lorenzová^{1, *}, Kristina Janoušková¹, Colin R. Martin²

¹ University of West Bohemia, Faculty of Health Care Studies, Pilsen, Czech Republic

² University of Suffolk, Clinical Institute for Health and Wellbeing, Ipswich, UK

Introduction: Women's satisfaction with childbirth can be defined as a retrospective assessment that reflects the overall level of satisfaction, well-being, and emotional response to the birth process.

Aim: To search for significant psychosocial factors that influence women's satisfaction with childbirth.

Methods: A retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted using an online questionnaire. We obtained 870 properly completed questionnaires from postpartum women. The main measurement tool was the Czech version of the Birth Satisfaction Scale-Revised (CZ-BSS-R).

Results: There was a statistically significant effect of women's previous experience of childbirth, the effect of psychological state before childbirth, and the effect of undisturbed contact with the newborn after childbirth (p < 0.05) on women's satisfaction with childbirth (CZ-BSS-R total score and its subscales). Women who had a close person present at the birth (p < 0.05) were significantly more satisfied with the experience, as were women who had a private midwife or doula attend the birth (p < 0.05). Women with a birth plan were significantly less satisfied with the quality of care during labour than women without a birth plan (p > 0.05).

Conclusion: Health professionals, especially midwives, can influence a woman's birth experience in a positive way. The key elements of women-centred care are respect for individuality, knowing what women expect from birth, paying attention to women's psychological state before birth, allowing women uninterrupted contact with their newborn immediately after birth, the right to choose, and continuous care from midwives.

Keywords: Birth Satisfaction Scale-Revised; Midwifery; Psychosocial factors; Satisfaction with childbirth; Women-centred care

Conflicts of interest:

The authors have no conflict of interest to declare.

Received: August 23, 2023; Revised: November 21, 2023; Accepted: December 13, 2023; Prepublished online: December 13, 2023; Published: December 18, 2023  Show citation