Citation

Eberhard-Gran M, Slinning K, Eskild A. J. Psychosom. Obstet. Gynaecol. 2008; 29(4): 258-261.

Affiliation

Division of Mental Health, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, and Health Services Research Centre, Akershus University Hospital, Norway. megr@fhi.no

Copyright

(Copyright © 2008, Informa - Taylor and Francis Group)

DOI

10.1080/01674820802075998

PMID

18608823

Abstract

Our aim was to study the occurrence of extreme fear during labor and its association with previous sexual abuse in adult life. All postpartum women (n = 414) in two municipalities in Norway participated in a questionnaire study. Self-reported fear during labor was categorized as "no fear/some fear/extreme fear". Sexual abuse was measured by the Abuse Assessment Screen (AAS). Three percent of the women reported extreme fear during labor, 13% some fear and 84% no fear. In total, 12% had been sexually abused as an adult. Among the women with extreme fear during labor, however, one third had a history of sexual abuse in adult life (crude odds ratio 3.7; 95% CI: 1.0-3.7). When controlling for depression in pregnancy, duration of labor and mode of delivery, the adjusted odds ratio for extreme fear during labor was 4.9 (95% CI: 1.2-19.1). The results suggest that women with a history of sexual abuse in adult life have an increased risk of extreme fear during labor.

Language: en