Abstract:
This descriptive research aimed to explore marital relationship, self-efficacy in labor pain coping, and pain coping behavior during labor of first-tine mothers as well as to determine the extent to which the age, educational level, marital relationship, and self-efficacy in labor pain coping could predict pain coping behavior during labor of first-time mothers.
The participants were 89 pregnant women who had antenatal care and gave birth at Phetchaboon Hospital. Data were collected using the Personal Data Questionnaire, the Marital Relationship Questionnaire, the Self-Efficacy in Labor Pain Coping Questionnaire and the Pain Coping Behavior Observation Form. Data were analyzed and presented by percentage, mean, standard deviation, variances, correlation coefficient, and multiple correlation coefficient.
The findings revealed that the sample’s marital relationship was at a fairly good level; averaged self-efficacy in labor pain coping was 58.3% and pain coping behavior during labor was at a fair level. The results indicated that all of the four predictor variables could explain 14.9% of the variance in pain coping behavior during labor (p<.01). However, only self-efficacy in labor pain coping was statistically significant predictor (p<.01).
Based on the findings, it is suggested that nurses should enhance pregnant women’s self-efficacy in labor pain coping before entering labor by initiating intervention programs to help then cope well with labor pain.