Comparing the Cultural Beliefs related to Mode of Delivery among Pregnant Women and Women with Childbirth Experiences as vaginal delivery or cesarean section (Tonekabon, 2014)

Nowadays, unnecessary cesarean sections (C-sections) are deemed as a cultural issue. In fact, true beliefs of pregnant women about vaginal delivery have been replaced by misconceptions about C-section like being a fashion or as an indicator of high social class. This study aimed to compare the cultural beliefs about mode of delivery in pregnant women and women with experience of either vaginal delivery or C-section in Tonekabon, Iran, in 2014. This study was performed based on a comparative descriptive design. The sample consisted of 444 pregnant women and women with experience of either vaginal delivery or C-section attending the clinics of obstetricians and gynaecologists or healthcare centers in Tonekabon for prenatal or postpartum care. Pregnant women with obstetric problems that were imposed to have cesarean surgery were excluded from the study. To collect the data a researcher made questionnaire containing seven factors was used. The validity and reliability of the tool was confirmed using content and construct validity as well as internal consistency method, respectively. Descriptive and inferential statistics (ANOVA, Kruskal-Wallis, Mann-Whitney, and Tukey) were used to analyze the data. The mean score of cultural beliefs influencing childbirth decision-making in women with natural childbirth experiences (24.78±2.70) was higher than those of the pregnant women (23.53±3.01) and women with cesarean experiences (24.03±2.66) (P=0.001). Also, there was a significant difference between the three groups regarding the mean scores of aspects of cultural beliefs about childbirth. Frightening thoughts about vaginal delivery are prominent in women. Physicians and media could have important roles in raising awareness to overcome these beliefs. Hence, to promote a positive cultural attitude towards vaginal delivery informing the mothers about the nature of childbirth and correcting their misconceptions could be of great benefit.