Prevalence and factors associated with fear of childbirth: national online survey of Brazilian adults

Abstract

Objective:   to identify the prevalence and factors associated with fear of childbirth in Brazilian adults. Method:   cross-sectional study with 528 participants aged between 18 and 58 years. Data were collected via an online questionnaire that addressed sociodemographic and behavioral characteristics, as well as information related to health, obstetric history, and fear of childbirth, using the Brazilian version of the Childbirth Fear Prior to Pregnancy instrument. The variables were analyzed and adjusted by multiple linear regression models, assuming that the residuals follow a normal distribution. Results:  the prevalence of fear of childbirth was 28.4% (n=133) for low, 19.5% (n=103) for moderate, and 26.9% (n=142) for high fear of childbirth. Multivariate analyses showed that lower fear of childbirth scores were associated with younger age (p=0.002) and female gender (p<0.000). On the other hand, individuals with previous pregnancies had higher CPFF scores (p=0.005). Conclusion:   the prevalence of fear of childbirth was 71.6% (n=378), distributed between low (25.2%), moderate (19.5%), and high fear (26.9%). Factors such as older age and female gender were associated with lower fear scores, while previous pregnancy was linked to a higher level of fear. These results suggest that maternal experience may influence future decisions about the choice of childbirth or impact the perception of other people in their social circle.