The relationship between types of childbirth, body image, and sexual function in postpartum women

Body image (BI) and sexual functioning can be affected by the rapid and significant physical changes that occur during pregnancy and postpartum. This study investigated the relationship between mode of delivery, BI, and sexual function in postpartum women. This cross-sectional study was conducted between September and November 2021. A total of 203 postpartum women from five health centers in Sanandaj, Iran, were conveniently selected to enroll in this study. Data were collected using an instrument with four sections: demographic data, the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI), and the Cash and Pruzinsky Multidimensional Body-Self Relations Questionnaire (MBSRQ). Descriptive statistics and binary logistic regression were used to analyze the data. In total, 112 and 91 women had a history of normal vaginal delivery (NVD) or cesarean section (CS), respectively. Compared with the NVD group, women in the CS group had a lower MBSRQ mean (251.95±27.99 vs. 236.75±35.22) and a slightly lower FSFI mean (68.43±9.62 vs. 70.63±11.67). Age of marriage, education (none-academic), occupation (employed), method of contraception (tubectomy), husband's occupation (unemployment), number of children (3-4), FSFI score and MBSRQ score were shown as effective factors on type delivery (P≤0.05). This study showed that women who had a CS were less satisfied with their BI than those who had a NVD. However, the two groups did not differ significantly in terms of their sexual function.