Relationship Between Anxiety and the Birth Experience of Hispanic Adolescents

To explore the effects of anxiety on the birth experience among Hispanic adolescents 13 to 19 years of age without comorbid major depression, along with selected obstetric and demographic variables.

Cross-sectional study with a secondary analysis design using demographic information, a subjective rating of the birth experience and anxiety level, and an objective anxiety score using the Edinburg Postnatal Depression Inventory-A (EPDS-A) from 127 Hispanic adolescents.

We found two variables to affect the birth experience: self-reported anxiety (p = .001) and type of birth (p = .001). Three additional variables neared significance indicating potential promise of importance: stress (p = .06), parity (p = .06), and unplanned pregnancy (p = .055). Remaining variables including objective measure of anxiety (p = .504), age (p = .144), and infant complications (p = .153) did not affect the birth experience.

Our findings encourage attention by nurses and other clinicians to the effects of self-reported anxiety, stress, type of birth, parity, and unplanned pregnancy on the adolescent's birth experience and highlight the importance of an assessment of the birth experience in early postpartum. Prior research on an association between negative birth experiences and potential mental health consequences supports postpartum follow-up for at-risk adolescents.