Table 1 Provider attitudes towards planned home birth - M scale items: item to total correlations and factor loadings (n=825)

1

Registered Midwives have sufficient skills to handle most emergencies safely at planned home births.

0.881

0.405

2

Women who give birth in the hospital are more likely to experience morbidity associated with medical interventions than women who give birth at home.

0.672

0.459

3

First time mothers should have the option of having a planned home birth.

0.896

0.555

4

I would feel comfortable if a close family member planned to give birth at home.

0.933

0.486

5

I am more comfortable with hospital birth than I am with planned home birth (reverse scored).

0.862

0.455

6

It worries me when people I care about decide to have planned home births (reverse scored).

0.873

0.499

7

There is scientific evidence that supports the greater safety of hospital births compared to planned home births (reverse scored).

0.809

0.538

8

Women who plan home births tend to be risk takers (reverse scored).

0.716

0.404

9

Planned home birth is not as safe as hospital birth (reverse scored).

0.901

0.628

10

Because of the risk of postpartum hemorrhage, the home is not an ideal birth setting (reverse scored).

0.897

0.477

11

I would consider having my own (or my partner’s) planned home birth with a Registered Midwife.

0.912

0.417

12

I am more comfortable providing intrapartum care in the hospital because of the personnel and equipment available only in the hospital (reverse scored).

0.883

0.510

13

A move towards more planned home births in this country would save our health care system a significant amount of money.

0.773

0.407

14

Even in urban areas, planned home births are less safe because of the amount of time it takes to transfer mothers/babies to hospital (reverse scored).

0.875

0.530

15

A woman who plans a hospital birth is more likely to have an unnecessary cesarean section than a woman who plans a home birth.

0.580

0.392

16

A mother’s cultural background is easier to respect at home births than hospital births.

0.467

0.269

17

I like attending planned home births.

0.889

0.482