Association between perceived social support and fear of childbirth among primiparous pregnant women

This study aimed to examine the association between perceived social support and fear of childbirth among primiparous pregnant women. This descriptive and cross-sectional study was conducted between December 2025 and February 2026 with 536 primiparous pregnant women experiencing their first pregnancy across Türkiye. Data were collected online using the snowball sampling method. The data collection instruments included a sociodemographic data form, the Wijma Delivery Expectancy/Experience Questionnaire and the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support. Descriptive statistics, Spearman correlation analysis, and linear regression analysis were used to analyze the data. Statistical significance was set at p < .05. The mean fear of childbirth score was 48.23 ± 13.75, while the mean perceived social support score was 62.26 ± 9.02. Multiple linear regression analysis showed that perceived social support was independently and negatively associated with fear of childbirth (B = − 0.348, β = −0.228, p < .001). The overall regression model was statistically significant and explained 65.3% of the variance in fear of childbirth (R² = 0.653; adjusted R² = 0.647). Higher perceived social support was associated with lower fear of childbirth among primiparous pregnant women. Longitudinal and intervention-based studies are needed to determine whether strengthening social support can reduce fear of childbirth.