TY - JOUR
T1 - The role of maternal attachment in the experience of labor pain
T2 - A prospective study
AU - Costa-Martins, José Manuel
AU - Pereira, Marco
AU - Martins, Henriqueta
AU - Moura-Ramos, Mariana
AU - Coelho, Rui
AU - Tavares, Jorge
PY - 2014/4
Y1 - 2014/4
N2 - OBJECTIVE: To examine the influence of attachment dimensions and sociodemographic and physical predictors in the experience of labor pain. METHODS: Eighty-one pregnant women were assessed during their third trimester of pregnancy and during labor. The perceived intensity of pain in the early stages of labor (3 cm of cervical dilatation) and before the administration of patient-controlled epidural analgesia was measured using a visual analog scale. Pain was also assessed indirectly based on anesthetic doses. Attachment was assessed using the Adult Attachment Scale-Revised. RESULTS: Attachment anxiety and avoidance were positively and significantly correlated with labor pain and anesthetic consumption. In the multivariate models, attachment anxiety was a significant predictor of higher pain at 3 cm of cervical dilatation (β = 0.36, p = .042) and before the administration of patient-controlled epidural analgesia (β = 0.51, p = .002). Older age (β = 0.31, p = .005), a shorter duration of labor (β= -0.41, p = .001), and attachment avoidance (β = 0.41, p = .004) were significant predictors of higher anesthetic use. CONCLUSIONS: The study findings suggest that perceived labor pain and anesthetic use are strongly associated with attachment, rather than demographic and physical factors. These data support the importance of understanding the experience of labor pain within an attachment theoretical framework.
AB - OBJECTIVE: To examine the influence of attachment dimensions and sociodemographic and physical predictors in the experience of labor pain. METHODS: Eighty-one pregnant women were assessed during their third trimester of pregnancy and during labor. The perceived intensity of pain in the early stages of labor (3 cm of cervical dilatation) and before the administration of patient-controlled epidural analgesia was measured using a visual analog scale. Pain was also assessed indirectly based on anesthetic doses. Attachment was assessed using the Adult Attachment Scale-Revised. RESULTS: Attachment anxiety and avoidance were positively and significantly correlated with labor pain and anesthetic consumption. In the multivariate models, attachment anxiety was a significant predictor of higher pain at 3 cm of cervical dilatation (β = 0.36, p = .042) and before the administration of patient-controlled epidural analgesia (β = 0.51, p = .002). Older age (β = 0.31, p = .005), a shorter duration of labor (β= -0.41, p = .001), and attachment avoidance (β = 0.41, p = .004) were significant predictors of higher anesthetic use. CONCLUSIONS: The study findings suggest that perceived labor pain and anesthetic use are strongly associated with attachment, rather than demographic and physical factors. These data support the importance of understanding the experience of labor pain within an attachment theoretical framework.
KW - Adult attachment
KW - Analgesia
KW - Labor
KW - Pain
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84898434106&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1097/PSY.0000000000000040
DO - 10.1097/PSY.0000000000000040
M3 - Article
C2 - 24608037
AN - SCOPUS:84898434106
SN - 0033-3174
VL - 76
SP - 221
EP - 228
JO - Psychosomatic Medicine
JF - Psychosomatic Medicine
IS - 3
ER -