Abstract:

Introduction: The study was carried out to determine the sense of consistency, perceived stress and fear of childbirth in pregnant women. Method: This descriptive study was carried out between 01 January-31 March 2022. A total of 218 pregnant women in Central Anatolia Region who met the research criteria were included in the study. Data were collected online using the 'Personal Information Form', 'Revised Emotional Consistency Scale (REDTS)', 'Perceived Stress Scale (PSS)' and 'Wijma Birth Expectation/Experience Scale (W-DEQ) version A (WIJMA A)'. In the analysis of the data, t-test was used for/in independent groups. Results: The mean scores of the pregnant women on the REDTS, PSS, and WIJMA A scales were found to be 43.41±9.23, 22.73±5.35, and 76.46±17.52. Consistency and fear of childbirth levels of the pregnant women were high, and their stress levels were moderate. It was found that the stress and fear of childbirth level of those who do not have social security and did not get pregnant voluntarily were higher than the other pregnant women (p<0.05). Another important result obtained from the research is that women who have given birth by cesarean section before are more afraid of childbirth than those who give birth normally (p<0.05). Conclusion: The data obtained from the research show that the previous delivery method, desire for pregnancy and social security status have a negative effect on the level of fear of birth. Considering the effects of fear of childbirth on mother-child health in the long and short term, there is a need to determine the birth fear level of women especially in the risk group and to develop strategies to reduce this level.

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