Comparison of Regret and Hopelessness in Primiparous Iranian Women Following Vaginal Birth and Cesarean Section

Background & aim: The rate of unnecessary caesarean section are exceptionally high in some countries, including Iran. Though women may choose their mode of delivery, negative feelings of regret and hopelessness can occur in relation to decision-making following birth. Thus, this study aimed to compare regret and hopelessness in primiparous women following both vaginal and cesarean birth.
Methods: Overall, 300 participants were included in this descriptive comparative study. Participants were included following vaginal birth (n=100), birth via emergency cesarean section (n=100) and birth via elective cesarean section (n=100) between June and October 2019. Participants were recruited from comprehensive health centers in Zabol, southeast of Iran. Data collection tools included the demographic characteristics questionnaire, Decision Regret Scale, and Beck Hopelessness Scale which were completed eight weeks after childbirth. To analyze data independent-sample T test and one-way ANOVA were used.
Results: Mean and standard deviation for scores in relation to regret eight weeks following vaginal birth and elective cesarean section were 29.70 ± 25.97, 43.20 ± 15.88, respectively. There was a statistically significant difference between the mean score of regret in the vaginal birth and elective cesarean section (P < 0.001). There was no statistically significant difference in terms of hopelessness among three groups of vaginal birth, birth via emergency cesarean section, and birth via elective cesarean section.
Conclusion: The higher scores in relation to regret in women who birthed via elective cesarean section in this study suggest that strategies are required to reduce rates of unnecessary cesarean sections.