Table 1 Descriptive statistics in total and for Belgian and Dutch women separately

Socio-demographic variables

Higher education

%

57.11

76.99

40.50

n

329

194

135

CI

0.55 – 0.59

0.75 – 0.79

0.38 – 0.43

Married/cohabitating

%

98.40

97.90

98.90

n

596

257

339

CI

0.976 – 0.988

0.978 – 0.979

0.988 – 0.989

Primiparae

%

54.20

48.20

51.80

n

276

133

143

CI

0.51 – 0.55

0.45 – 0.51

0.48 – 0.54

Employed

%

85.28

85.23

84.82

n

517

221

296

CI

0.84 – 0.87

0.84 – 0.88

0.83 – 0.87

Age

Mean

31.21

30.41

31.87

SD

4.17

4.09

4.14

n

816

372

444

CI

31.06 – 31.36

30.20 – 30.62

31.68 – 32.07

Characteristics of childbirth

Length of labour (expressed in hours)

Mean

9.48

9.95

9.13

SD

6.31

6.13

6.44

CI

9.22 – 9.74

9.57 – 10.34

8.79 – 9.47

With medical intervention (1)

%

22.50

20.80

23.90

n

133

54

79

CI

0.21 – 0.24

0.18 – 0.23

0.22 – 0.26

Planning for a home birth (0)

%

37.00

24.00

48.00

n

301

90

211

CI

0.35 – 0.39

0.22 – 0.26

0.46 – 0.50

Social psychological variables

Labour pain

Mean

57.55

58.04

57.55

SD

22.02

22.33

21.67

CI

56.66 – 58.45

56.67 – 59.42

56.38 – 58.72

Personal control

Mean

4.34

4.27

4.37

SD

1.24

1.19

1.29

CI

4.28 – 4.39

4.20 – 4.35

4.30 – 4.44

Self-efficacy

Mean

3.89

3.89

3.89

SD

0.53

0.53

0.53

CI

3.87 – 3.91

3.86 – 3.92

3.87 – 3.92

Expectations met

Mean

2.59

2.69

2.50

SD

0.96

0.93

0.97

CI

2.55 – 2.63

2.63 – 2.75

2.44 – 2.55