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Introduction: Midwifery care is associated with positive birth outcomes, access to community birth options, and judicious use of interventions. The aim of this study was to characterize and compare maternity care preferences of university students across a range of maternity care systems and to explore whether preferences align with evidence-based recommendations and options available., Methods: A cross-sectional, web-based survey was completed in 2014 and 2015 by a convenience sample of university students in 8 high-income countries across 4 continents (N = 4569). In addition to describing preferences for midwifery care and community birth options across countries, this study examined sociodemographic characteristics, psychological factors, knowledge about pregnancy and birth, and sources of information that shaped students' attitudes toward birth in relation to preferences for midwifery care and community birth options., Results: Approximately half of the student respondents (48.2%) preferred midwifery-led care for a healthy pregnancy; 9.5% would choose to give birth in a birthing center, and 4.5% preferred a home birth. Preference for midwifery care varied from 10.3% among women in the United States to 78.6% among women in the United Kingdom. Preferences for home birth varied from 0.3% among US women to 18.3% among Canadian women. Women, health science students, those with low childbirth fear, those who learned about pregnancy and birth from friends (compared with other sources, eg, the media), and those who responded from Europe were significantly more likely to prefer midwifery care and community birth. High confidence in knowledge of pregnancy and birth was linked to significantly higher odds of community birth preferences and midwifery care preferences., Discussion: It would be beneficial to integrate childbirth education into high school curricula to promote knowledge of midwifery care, pregnancy, and childbirth and to reduce fear among prospective parents. Community birth options need to be expanded to meet demand among the next generation of maternity service users., (© 2020 by the American College of Nurse-Midwives.)

Background: Efforts to reduce unnecessary Cesarean sections (CS) in high and middle income countries have focused on changing hospital cultures and policies, care provider attitudes and behaviors, and increasing women's knowledge about the benefits of vaginal birth. These strategies have been largely ineffective. Despite evidence that women have well-developed preferences for mode of delivery prior to conceiving their first child, few studies and no interventions have targeted the next generation of maternity care consumers. The objectives of the study were to identify how many women prefer Cesarean section in a hypothetical healthy pregnancy, why they prefer CS and whether women report knowledge gaps about pregnancy and childbirth that can inform educational interventions., Methods: Data was collected via an online survey at colleges and universities in 8 OECD countries (Australia, Canada, Chile, England, Germany, Iceland, New Zealand, United States) in 2014/2015. Childless young men and women between 18 and 40 years of age who planned to have at least one child in the future were eligible to participate. The current analysis is focused on the attitudes of women (n = 3616); rates of CS preference across countries are compared, using a standardized cohort of women aged 18-25 years, who were born in the survey country and did not study health sciences (n = 1390)., Results: One in ten young women in our study preferred CS, ranging from 7.6% in Iceland to 18.4% in Australia. Fear of uncontrollable labor pain and fear of physical damage were primary reasons for preferring a CS. Both fear of childbirth and preferences for CS declined as the level of confidence in women's knowledge of pregnancy and birth increased., Conclusion: Education sessions delivered online, through social media, and face-to-face using drama and stories told by peers (young women who have recently had babies) or celebrities could be designed to maximize young women's capacity to understand the physiology of labor and birth, and the range of methods available to support them in coping with labor pain and to minimize invasive procedures, therefore reducing fear of pain, bodily damage, and loss of control. The most efficacious designs and content for such education for young women and girls remains to be tested in future studies.

Background: The reality of childbirth fear is recognised for expectant parents but we lack knowledge about the childbirth attitudes of the next generation of Australian parents., Aim: Examination of adults' attitudes toward childbirth including influencing contributing factors, fear scores, birth preferences and reasons for this preference., Methods: A cross-sectional online study was conducted with 654 Western Australian students attending one tertiary institution. Students (male and female) were eligible to participate if they were less than 40 years of age and did not currently have children but confirmed their intention to become parents. To assess associations or comparison of means, bi-variable analyses (Chi square test, Fisher's Exact test, Independent Student's t-test or one way ANOVA) were used. Factors associated with childbirth fear and birth preferences were assessed with binary logistic regression analysis., Findings: Childbirth attitudes were shaped by family members' (82.0%) and friends' experiences (64.4%) plus media (TV, YouTube, and movies) (63.5%). Furthermore, 15.6% of adults indicated a preference for a caesarean birth, even without obstetric complications. Likewise, 26.1% reported elevated fear; students with elevated fear scores had 2.6 times greater odds of wanting a caesarean birth. Only 23.4% of students felt confident about their childbirth knowledge., Conclusion: Adults reported fear levels that warrant attention prior to a future pregnancy. Although the majority would choose a vaginal birth, they require awareness of benefits and risks for both vaginal and caesarean births to ensure their decisions reflect informed choice rather than influences of inadequate knowledge or fear., (Copyright © 2016 Australian College of Midwives. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: Australian caesarean birth rates have exceeded 30% in most states and are approaching 45%, on average, in private hospitals. Australian midwifery practice occurs almost exclusively in hospitals; less than 3% of women deliver at home or in birthing centres. It is unclear whether the trend towards hospital-based, high interventionist birth reflects preferences of the next generation of maternity care consumers., Aim and Methods: We conducted a descriptive cross-sectional online survey of 760 Western Australian (WA) university students in 2014, to examine their preferences for place of birth, type of maternity care, mode of birth and attitudes towards birth., Findings: More students who preferred midwives (35.8%) had vaginal birth intentions, contested statements that birth is unpredictable and risky, and valued patient-provider relationships. More students who preferred obstetricians (21.8%) expressed concerns about childbirth safety, feared birth, held favourable views towards obstetric technology, and expressed concerns about the impact of pregnancy and birth on the female body. One in 8 students preferred out-of-hospital birth settings, supporting consumer demand for midwife-attended births at home and in birthing centres. Stories and experiences of friends and family shaped students' care provider preferences, rather than the media or information learned at school., Conclusion: Students who express preferences for midwives have significantly different views about birth compared to students who prefer obstetricians. Increasing access to midwifery care in all settings (hospital, birthing centre and home) is a cost effective strategy to decrease obstetric interventions for low risk women and a desirable option for the next generation., (Copyright © 2015 Australian College of Midwives. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The objective of this study was to examine the associations between attendance at childbirth education classes and maternal characteristics (age, income, educational level, single parent status), maternal psychological states (fear of birth, anxiety), rates of obstetric interventions, and breastfeeding initiation. Between women's 35th and 39th weeks of gestation, we collected survey data about their childbirth fear, anxiety, attendance at childbirth education classes, choice of health-care provider, and expectations for interventions; we then linked women's responses (n = 624) to their intrapartum records obtained through Perinatal Services British Columbia. Older, more educated, and nulliparous women were more likely to attend childbirth education classes than younger, less educated, and multiparous women. Attending prenatal education classes was associated with higher rates of vaginal births among women in the study sample. Rates of labor induction and augmentation and use of epidural anesthesia were not significantly associated with attendance at childbirth education classes. Future studies might explore the effect of specialized education programs on rates of interventions during labor and mode of birth.