Fear of childbirth among pregnant women: A concept analysis

AimTo clarify the concept of fear of childbirth among pregnant women and to examine its current measure tools.BackgroundFear of childbirth is a psychological symptom, prevalent among pregnant women, which negatively impacts women's health and well-being. It has become an increasingly concerning issue in perinatal mental health. However, due to its poor conceptualization, it presents difficulty in conducting reliable assessments and identifying risk factors.MethodsThe Walker and Avant approach to concept analysis guided this review. Six bibliographic databases were systematically searched for published research from their inception date to May 2023. Additional records were identified by manually searching the reference lists of relevant studies. Quantitative and qualitative studies investigating fear of childbirth in pregnant women were included.ResultsThree critical attributes have been identified: cognitive impairments, affective disorders and somatic symptoms. Antecedents include perceived a real or anticipated threat of pregnancy or its outcomes, low perceived self-coping ability and unmet social support needs. Consequences include processing and avoiding behaviours. This study also identified the dimensions of fear of childbirth, including 6 primary categories and 14 subcategories. The content of five scales was analysed and none covered all domains.ConclusionsThe current analysis provides healthcare providers with a more comprehensive framework to assess and identify fear of childbirth. Further research is needed to develop a suitable instrument that covers all the attributes and dimensions of this concept and assesses its severity.ImpactThis conceptual analysis provides a comprehensive insight into the phenomenon of fear of childbirth. This will help family members, healthcare providers and policymakers to identify the psychological needs of pregnant women and improve the quality of antenatal care.Patient or Public ContributionNot applicable as no new data were generated.