Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jan 12, 2026

An Experimental Paradigm for the Prediction of Post-Operative Pain PPOP
14:56

An Experimental Paradigm for the Prediction of Post-Operative Pain PPOP

Published on: January 27, 2010

21.9K

Confidence in knowledge, childbirth fear, and preference for cesarean birth among Polish women: a cross-sectional

Patrycja Surma1,2, Agnieszka Micek3, Monika Bednarek-Chałuda4

  • 1Department of Environmental Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Krakow, Poland.

European Journal of Public Health
|November 5, 2025
PubMed

In Poland, 48 in 100 babies are born by cesarean section, which is among the highest rate of cesarean birth (CB) in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries. Several factors are linked to higher CB rates, including childbirth fear prior to pregnancy (CFPP), and physician versus midwifery led models of care. In order to decrease CB rates, it is crucial to understand modifiable factors that are associated with childbirth preferences. In this study, we tested how confidence in knowledge of pregnancy and birth was related to: (i) fear of childbirth, preference for: (ii) mode of birth and (iii) prenatal care provider type. We recruited 782 women aged 18-35 (mean 24.7, SD 3.19) who had never been pregnant but desired to have at least one child in the future. Women with moderate and high levels of confidence in knowledge had lower odds of high fear of childbirth compared to women with low levels of confidence (aOR = 0.57, 95% CI: 0.39-0.83 and aOR = 0.54, 95% CI: 0.33-0.88, respectively). Neither moderate nor high levels of confidence in knowledge were associated with a preference for CB (aOR = 1.10, 95% CI: 0.73-1.67 and aOR = 0.92, 95% CI: 0.55-1.55, respectively) compared to low levels. In addition, women with high levels of confidence in knowledge had significantly lower odds of preferring obstetricians (aOR = 0.49, 95% CI: 0.26-0.89), compared to midwives. Our study provides evidence that confidence in knowledge is related to fear of childbirth and prenatal care provider preferences.

More Related Videos

External Cephalic Version: Is it an Effective and Safe Procedure?08:49

External Cephalic Version: Is it an Effective and Safe Procedure?

Published on: June 6, 2020

15.7K
A Novel Method for Involving Women of Color at High Risk for Preterm Birth in Research Priority Setting14:43

A Novel Method for Involving Women of Color at High Risk for Preterm Birth in Research Priority Setting

Published on: January 12, 2018

12.5K

Related Concept Videos

Types of Biopharmaceutical Studies: Controlled and Non-Controlled Approaches01:23

Types of Biopharmaceutical Studies: Controlled and Non-Controlled Approaches

Biopharmaceutical studies constitute a vital field aiming to enhance drug delivery methods and refine therapeutic approaches, drawing upon diverse interdisciplinary knowledge. In research methodologies, the choice between controlled and non-controlled studies significantly influences the study's reliability and accuracy.
Non-controlled studies, commonly employed for initial exploration, lack a control group, rendering them susceptible to biases and external influences. In contrast,...
395
Uncertainty: Confidence Intervals00:54

Uncertainty: Confidence Intervals

The confidence interval is the range of values around the mean that contains the true mean. It is expressed as a probability percentage. The interpretation of a 95% confidence interval, for instance, is that the statistician is 95% confident that the true mean falls within the interval. The upper and lower limits of this range are known as confidence limits. The confidence limits for the true mean are estimated from the sample's mean, the standard deviation, and the statistical factor...
10.1K
Panic Disorder01:27

Panic Disorder

Panic disorder is an anxiety disorder characterized by recurrent and sudden minutes-long episodes of intense fear, known as panic attacks. These attacks may feel like heart attacks and often happen without warning or a specific cause. They can include symptoms such as rapid heart rate, shortness of breath, chest pain, trembling, sweating, dizziness, and a sense of helplessness. During a panic attack, individuals may feel as though they are experiencing a heart attack or are in a...
610
Regression Toward the Mean01:52

Regression Toward the Mean

Regression toward the mean (“RTM”) is a phenomenon in which extremely high or low values—for example, and individual’s blood pressure at a particular moment—appear closer to a group’s average upon remeasuring. Although this statistical peculiarity is the result of random error and chance, it has been problematic across various medical, scientific, financial and psychological applications. In particular, RTM, if not taken into account, can interfere when...
6.8K
Interpretation of Confidence Intervals01:19

Interpretation of Confidence Intervals

A confidence interval is a better estimate of the population than a point estimate, as it uses a range of values from a sample instead of a single value.
Confidence intervals have confidence coefficients that are crucial for their interpretation. The most common confidence coefficients are 0.90, 0.95, and 0.99, which can be written as percentages–90%, 95%, and 99%, respectively.
Suppose a person calculates a confidence interval with a confidence coefficient of 0.95. In that case, they can...
9.2K
Confidence Intervals01:21

Confidence Intervals

An unbiased point estimate is often insufficient to predict a population estimate, such as population mean or population proportion. In this scenario, a confidence interval is used. A confidence interval is an estimate similar to a  sample proportion. However, unlike the point estimate which is a single value, the confidence interval  contains a range of values. These values have lower and upper limits, known as confidence limits, and can be designated as L1 and L2, respectively.
A...
10.0K