Internal locus of control and childbirth satisfaction in primiparous women

A descriptive correlational study was conducted to determine the existence of a relationship between internal locus of control and childbirth satisfaction in primiparous women. The study hypothesis stated there will be a positive, significant relationship between internal locus of control and childbirth satisfaction. The Pregnancy Attitude Index (O'Connell, 1983) and the Childbirth Satisfaction Questionnaire (Harris, 1979) were used as indicators of internal locus of control and childbirth satisfaction. The two instruments were mailed to 114 primiparous women who had attended childbirth preparation classes. Twenty-three of the 39 returned questionnaires were utilized and scores tabulated for locus of control and childbirth satisfaction. The Pearson product-moment correlation statistical procedure was utilized to determine the relationship between the two scores. The relationship between internal locus of control and childbirth satisfaction was significant at the .05 level.