Autoeficacia para el parto vaginal: efecto de un programa de intervención psicoeducativa durante el embarazo

Introduction: Self-efficacy in women’s childbirth determines the choice of mode of giving birth; therefore, it plays an important role in labor management and increases the rate of normal vaginal delivery. Objectives: To demonstrate the effect of a psycho-educational intervention program on self-efficacy for vaginal birth during pregnancy. Methods: A quasi-experimental, longitudinal study was carried out. Eighty pregnant women were randomly divided into intervention and control groups. Pregnant women in the intervention group received a psycho-educational intervention based on Bandura's self-efficacy components, and those in the control group received routine care. Participants in both groups completed the Self-efficacy for Vaginal Birth Scale, the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support and the Wong and Law Emotional Intelligence Scale twice, before and after the intervention. Results: The findings showed that the psycho-educational intervention significantly increased the self-efficacy score for vaginal birth in the intervention group compared to the control group. This strategy also increased the mean score of perceived social support and emotional intelligence in pregnant women in the intervention group. Conclusion: The evidence reveals that psycho-educational intervention based on Bandura's self-efficacy theory has a positive effect on self-efficacy for vaginal birth.