{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,7]],"date-time":"2026-01-07T06:53:03Z","timestamp":1767768783207,"version":"3.48.0"},"reference-count":22,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,7]],"date-time":"2026-01-07T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1767744000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["frontiersin.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Front. Psychiatry"],"abstract":"<jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Background<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Fear of childbirth (FOC) is a common concern among pregnant women and can significantly impact maternal and fetal well-being. This study estimates the prevalence of childbirth fear, its determinants and correlation with depression and anxiety, and related factors among pregnant women in Saudi Arabia.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>The study conducted a cross-sectional online survey of a convenience sample of 617 pregnant women in Saudi Arabia using a self-administered questionnaire collected over one month. The questionnaire included the Wijma Delivery Expectancy Questionnaire (W-DEQ) for FOC and the Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale (GAD-7) and Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) for anxiety and depression.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>The prevalence of high FOC was 7%. Significant associations were found between FOC and many variables, including low income (p=0.001), unstable marital relationships (p=0.001), first-trimester gestational age (p=0.04), lack of follow-up with pregnancy (p=0.001), and following up in both private and government hospitals (p=0.02). There was a weak positive correlation between FOC and anxiety, as well as depressive symptoms.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Conclusion<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>While FOC is a notable concern, it is not pervasive among pregnant women in Saudi Arabia. Targeted psychosocial interventions for vulnerable and at-risk groups, together with improved continuity of antenatal care, are recommended, and future studies should aim to represent all regions of the country.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.3389\/fpsyt.2025.1715407","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,7]],"date-time":"2026-01-07T06:51:52Z","timestamp":1767768712000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Prevalence and associated factors of fear of childbirth among pregnant women in Saudi Arabia"],"prefix":"10.3389","volume":"16","author":[{"given":"Deemah","family":"Alateeq","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Nujud 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