The role of fear of pain and related psychological variables in prediction of cesarean labor

The UN report on the 41% increase of cesarean labor and its risks in Iran in recent years on the one hand and its association with cognitive and psychological factors on the other motivated us to identify the involving variables so as to control unnecessary cesarean sections. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of fear of pain and related psychological variables (pain catastrophizing, catastrophic cognition, childbirth attitude, depression-anxiety-stress, and experience of pre-menstruation (PMS) in prediction of cesarean labor. In this cross-sectional study, 300 pregnant women from Atieh private and Shahid Akbar Abadi public Hospitals (150 participants from each) were selected and matched by variables, such as age, level of education, month of pregnancy, previous experience of deliveries, tendency to cesarean, type of hospital, and having PMS. To collect data, a battery of questionnaires, including fear of pain, pain catastrophising, catastrophic cognition, childbirth attitude, and depression-anxiety-stress (DASS) were used. The results were analyzed through correlation coefficient and logistic regression. Education, previous experience of deliveries, month of pregnancy were not significant but such variables as the tendency to cesarean, type of hospital, and age were significant (P<0.05). Such variables as pain catastrophizing, catastrophic cognition, and childbirth attitude were significant but other variables, including fear of pain, depression-anxiety-stress, experience of PMS were not significant (P>0.05). Such variables as the experience of cesarean, type of hospital, and age as well as pain catastrophizing, childbirth attitude, and catastrophic cognition are significant variable in prediction of cesarean labor in pregnant women.