[Correlates of couples' attitudes toward husband's childbirth participation]

The purpose of this study was to explore the couples' attitude toward husband's childbirth participation and its context. By a cross-sectional study, data were collected from 100 couples who plant to deliver at one medical center in southern Taiwan. The modified version of individual Traditionality-Modernity Scale, a Social Support Scale, Zung's Self-rating depression scale and Zung's Self-rating Anxiety Scale, and the Chinese Health Questionnaire were used. Findings indicated that 73.0% wives and 80.0% husbands showed a favorable attitude toward husband's childbirth participation. Four factors were identified to be associated with couples' favorable attitude: (1) wife's mental support; (2) welcome for newborn's coming; (3) share in the childbirth with the wife together; (4) curiosity about the labor. In contrast, four factors related to unfavorable attitude were found: (1) unhelpful for the wife; (2) folk taboo; (3) husband's psychological impact; and (4) wife's negative body image. Moreover, logistic multiple regression indicated that those wives who desired a boy or a girl and those husbands who had junior college or below education tended to anticipate husband's childbirth participation or tended to childbirth participation. In response to the social trend, it is necessary to conduct more childbirth classes and encourage husbands to be present in the delivery room in order to promote family-oriented care in our health care system.