Does Speaking the Same Language With the Caretakers Associate With a Higher Neuraxial Labor Analgesia Use Rate?

Area of Science:

• Obstetrics and Gynecology
• Anesthesiology
• Sociology of Health

Background:

• Effective communication is vital for neuraxial analgesia during labor.
• Language barriers can impact healthcare interactions and decisions.
• Understanding factors influencing labor analgesia choices is crucial for equitable care.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between parturient communication language categories and neuraxial analgesia use.
• To examine the relationship between language capabilities and the incidence of vaginal delivery without pharmacological pain relief.
• To explore how direct communication ability influences the selection of labor analgesia methods.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective study of 13,707 parturients in Helsinki delivery hospitals (2022).
• Categorization of parturients based on primary language and communication ability (Finnish, Swedish, English).
• Analysis of neuraxial analgesia use, adjusted for demographic and labor parameters.

Main Results:

• Parturients with direct communication ability (Category II) showed increased odds of neuraxial analgesia use compared to those with communication barriers (Category I).
• Direct communication was associated with lower use of non-neuraxial pharmacological analgesia.
• No significant association was found between language capability and delivery without pharmacological pain relief.

Conclusions:

• Direct communication ability influences the *type* of labor analgesia chosen, favoring neuraxial methods over others.
• Language capability alone does not increase overall labor analgesia use; cultural trends and antenatal education play significant roles.
• Promoting equitable maternity care requires culturally responsive education and communication strategies beyond simple translation services.