Mothers' bonding attitudes towards infants: Impact of demographics, psychological attributes, and satisfaction with usual clinicalcare during pregnancy

Abstract

Our aim was to examine the hypothesis that bonding difficulty after childbirth is predicted by poor satisfaction with hospital care as well as women’s demographic, obstetric, and personality attributes. We investigated 413 women using a set of questionnaires that included the Postnatal Bonding Questionnaire (PBQ), Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI), and Client Satisfaction Questionnaire (CSQ), as well as demographic variables. Regression analyses that sequentially set each of the three PBQ subscales as the dependant variable showed that all three PBQ subscales were predicted by the womens’ negative responses to their pregnancies as well as several personality traits. In addition, theAnger and Rejection domain of the PBQ could be explained by perceived satisfaction with usual care, even after controlling for the effects of demographic, obstetric, and personality factors. We should pay more attention to improving medical and nursing care as this has considerable potential to enhance mothers’ attitudes towards their babies.