Association of Pregnancy-specific Uplifts and Hassles with Birth Satisfaction in Iranian Women
5 affiliations
- 1Midwifery (MSc), Department of Midwifery, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Guilan University of Medical Sciences, Rasht, Iran.
- 2Associate Professor, Department of Midwifery, Social Determinants of Health Research Center, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Guilan University of Medical Sciences, Rasht, Iran.
- 3Professor, Department of Midwifery, Social Determinants of Health Research Center, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Guilan University of Medical Sciences, Rasht, Iran.
- 4Associate Professor, Gastrointestinal and Liver Diseases Research Center, Guilan University of Medical Sciences, Rasht, Iran.
- 5Assistant Professor, Department of Gynecology, Reproductive Health Research Center, School of Medicine, Alzahra Hospital, Guilan University of Medical Sciences, Rasht, Iran.
Abstract
Introduction: Birth satisfaction is an important indicator of maternity care quality and is influenced by women’s perceptions of care, psychological experiences, expectations, and individual characteristics. Pregnancy-specific experiences, including positive (uplifts) and negative (hassles) experiences, may be associated with women’s evaluations of childbirth. Objective: This study aimed to examine the association between pregnancy-specific uplifts and hassles and birth satisfaction among Iranian postpartum women. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional analytical study included 358 postpartum women who received antenatal care and gave birth at a public teaching hospital in northern Iran. They were recruited consecutively between April 9 and November 6, 2022. Data were collected using a sociodemographic/obstetric form, the Birth Satisfaction Scale–Revised (BSS-R), and the Pregnancy Experience Scale–Brief Version (PES-BV). Data were analyzed using independent t-test, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), Pearson’s and Spearman’s correlation tests, and multiple linear regression. Results: The mean age of women was 30.37±6.21 years, and 79.9% underwent cesarean section. The mean BSS-R score was 25.3±4.92, above the average score. The mean frequency scores for uplifts and hassles were 9.63±0.93 and 5.79±2.82, respectively (ranged 0–10). After adjustment for measured covariates, higher frequencies of both uplifts (b=0.63, 95% CI; 0.08, 1.18, P=0.024) and hassles (b=0.4, 95% CI; 0.22, 0.58, P=0.001) were significantly associated with higher BSS-R scores. Birth satisfaction was significantly lower among women who underwent cesarean section (b=-3.6, 95% CI; -5.05 to -2.15, P=0.001) and higher among those whose primary source of pregnancy and childbirth information was midwives (b=2.4, 95% CI; 0.3, 4.5, P=0.025) and those who preferred vaginal delivery (b=1.93, 95% CI; 0.62, 3.24, P=0.004). The final regression model explained 25.6% of the variance in birth satisfaction (R²=0.256). Conclusion: Pregnancy-specific uplifts and hassles are associated with birth satisfaction in Iranian women. Birth satisfaction is also associated with the source of childbirth information, the preferred mode of delivery, and birth method.
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BibTeX
@article{haghighi2026association,
title = {{Association of Pregnancy-specific Uplifts and Hassles with Birth Satisfaction in Iranian Women}},
author = {Masoumeh Malekzadeh Haghighi and Parvaneh Rezasoltani and Sedighe Pakseresht and Saman Maroufizadeh and Atoosa Etezadi},
journal = {Journal of Holistic Nursing and Midwifery},
year = {2026},
month = sep,
note = {CC BY-NC},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Association of Pregnancy-specific Uplifts and Hassles with Birth Satisfaction in Iranian Women
AU - Masoumeh Malekzadeh Haghighi
AU - Parvaneh Rezasoltani
AU - Sedighe Pakseresht
AU - Saman Maroufizadeh
AU - Atoosa Etezadi
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/09/01
JO - Journal of Holistic Nursing and Midwifery
AB - Introduction: Birth satisfaction is an important indicator of maternity care quality and is influenced by women’s perceptions of care, psychological experiences, expectations, and individual characteristics. Pregnancy-specific experiences, including positive (uplifts) and negative (hassles) experiences, may be associated with women’s evaluations of childbirth. Objective: This study aimed to examine the association between pregnancy-specific uplifts and hassles and birth satisfaction among Iranian postpartum women. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional analytical study included 358 postpartum women who received antenatal care and gave birth at a public teaching hospital in northern Iran. They were recruited consecutively between April 9 and November 6, 2022. Data were collected using a sociodemographic/obstetric form, the Birth Satisfaction Scale–Revised (BSS-R), and the Pregnancy Experience Scale–Brief Version (PES-BV). Data were analyzed using independent t-test, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), Pearson’s and Spearman’s correlation tests, and multiple linear regression. Results: The mean age of women was 30.37±6.21 years, and 79.9% underwent cesarean section. The mean BSS-R score was 25.3±4.92, above the average score. The mean frequency scores for uplifts and hassles were 9.63±0.93 and 5.79±2.82, respectively (ranged 0–10). After adjustment for measured covariates, higher frequencies of both uplifts (b=0.63, 95% CI; 0.08, 1.18, P=0.024) and hassles (b=0.4, 95% CI; 0.22, 0.58, P=0.001) were significantly associated with higher BSS-R scores. Birth satisfaction was significantly lower among women who underwent cesarean section (b=-3.6, 95% CI; -5.05 to -2.15, P=0.001) and higher among those whose primary source of pregnancy and childbirth information was midwives (b=2.4, 95% CI; 0.3, 4.5, P=0.025) and those who preferred vaginal delivery (b=1.93, 95% CI; 0.62, 3.24, P=0.004). The final regression model explained 25.6% of the variance in birth satisfaction (R²=0.256). Conclusion: Pregnancy-specific uplifts and hassles are associated with birth satisfaction in Iranian women. Birth satisfaction is also associated with the source of childbirth information, the preferred mode of delivery, and birth method.
SN - 2588-3712
SN - 2588-3720
ER -