HEALTHCARE PROVIDER, ROMANTIC PARTNER, AND FAMILY SUPPORT AS PREDICTORS OF FEAR OF CHILDBIRTH IN OSUN STATE, NIGERIA

Studies have established the relationship between social support and fear of childbirth, however, the distinct contribution of different sources of social support on the domains of fear of childbirth has not been thoroughly assessed. This study examined the relationship between perceived social support from healthcare providers, partners, family, friends and four domains maternal fear of childbirth (fear of pain, mistreatment, baby safety, and loss of control) among pregnant women in Osun State. A cross-sectional study was conducted involving 210 antenatal attendees in selected public and private healthcare facilities situated in rural and urban areas from July to August, 2024. Data were gathered using standardized instruments which are; The Fear of Childbirth Questionnaire (FCQ), Measure of Perceived healthcare providers scale and the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support. Descriptive and inferential statistics, including logistic regression analysis, were conducted using IBM SPSS Statistics, version 25. Result revealed that younger women were more likely to report fear of mistreatment/trust (AOR = 1.56, p = .044) compared to older women. Single/divorced women showed higher odds of fear across the four dimensions of fear, losing control/coping (AOR = 2.17, p = .028) and mistreatment/trust (AOR = 2.05, p = .031) than married women. Pregnant women who perceived low family support were 3.4 times likely to experience fear of losing control/coping (AOR = 3.38, p = .002), 3.3 times likely to experience fear of mistreatment/trust (AOR = 3.25, p = .003), 2.9 times experience fear of pain (AOR = 2.87, p = .006), and 2 times have fear of baby’s safety (AOR = 2.01, p = .045) than those who perceived high family support. Based on these findings, partner and family- inclusive models should be incorporated in antenatal care to enhance maternal mental health.