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Table 5 Question Wording for Variables used in Study

From: Maternal perceptions of the experience of attempted labor induction and medically elective inductions: analysis of survey results from listening to mothers in California

Birth attendant

•Which type of maternity care provider delivered your baby on [date]?

•An obstetrician-gynecologist doctor (OB or ob/gyn)

•A family medicine doctor

•A doctor but I’m not sure what type

•A midwife (CNM)

•A nurse practitioner (NP) or other nurse who is not a Midwife

•A physician assistant (PA)

•Other, please tell us:

Race/ethnicity

Blending of two questions:

Which of the following best describes how you identify yourself? Please select all that apply.

•White

•Black or African American

•Asian

•American Indian or Alaskan Native

•Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander

•Something else. Please tell us:

Are you of Hispanic, Latina or Spanish descent?

•Yes

•No

Age

How old were you when your recent baby was born?

Marital status

At the time you gave birth, were you…?

•Married

•Living with someone as if married

•Separated, divorced or widowed

•Single, never married

Birthplace

In what country were you born?

•United States

•Some other country but born as US citizen

•Some other country

Education

What is the highest level of education you have completed or the highest degree you have received?

•Less than high school

•Some high school

•High school diploma or GED

•Some college, but no degree

•Associate’s degree

•College (such as B.A., B.S.)

•Some graduate school, but no degree

•Graduate school (such as M.S., M.D., Ph.D.)

Insurer

At the time of your recent birth, what insurance did you have to pay for your maternity care (including provider and hospital bills)? Select all that apply.

•Medi-Cal

•A health plan paid for by Medi-Cal

•Private insurance through your job or the job of your spouse, partner or parent

•Private insurance bought from a health insurance company or plan, or through Covered CA

•Other [Name of plan:]

NOTE: In all analyses, Medi-Cal as insurer was based on a paid childbirth claim in the state Medi-Cal database

Parity

In all, how many babies have you had? Please include your new baby.

Preterm birth

Based on cross-referencing answers to questions on due date and date of delivery

Attitude Toward Birth Process

How much do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Childbirth is a process that should not be interfered with unless medically necessary. Do you…?

•Agree strongly

•Agree somewhat

•Neither agree nor disagree

•Disagree somewhat

•Disagree strongly

Planned Vaginal

Combination of two questions (all vaginal births plus those cases of cesareans where respondent indicated the decision was made after labor began):

When you recently gave birth, was your baby born vaginally or by C-section?

•Vaginally

•By C-section (surgery)

You told us that your recent birth on [date] was a C-section. Was the C-section planned ahead of time, that is, was the decision to have a C-section made before you went into labor?

•Yes, it was planned before I went into labor

•No, the decision was made after my labor started

Any attempted labor induction

By “inducing labor,” we mean using medicine or some other method to try to start the regular contractions of childbirth – before they start on their own. Did your maternity care provider try to induce your labor in any way?

•Yes

•No

Methods of induction

How did your maternity care provider try to start your labor? Please select all that apply.

•Inserted a finger into the opening to my womb to “sweep” or “strip” the membranes loose

•Broke and released my water before the start of labor contractions

•Gave the medicine Pitocin through an IV drip before the start of labor contractions

•Tried to start my labor some other way. Please tell us:

Reasons for induction

Why did your maternity care provider try to start your labor? Please select all that apply.

•My baby was getting too big

•They were worried that I was “overdue”

•My water had broken and they worried about infection

•The baby needed to be born soon due to a health problem (for one or both of us)

•I wanted to control the timing for work or other nonmedical reasons

•I wanted to give birth with a specific provider

•Baby was full term: it was close to my due date

•Some other reason. Please tell us:

Induction start labor?

Did the medicine or other method used by your maternity care provider actually start your labor?

•Yes

•No

•Not sure

Felt pressure to have an induction of labor

Did you feel pressure from any health professional to induce labor (use medicine or some other method to start your labor)?

•Yes

•No

Broke water (amniotomy) after labor onseta

During your labor, did someone break your bag of water after labor contractions had begun?

•Yes

•No

•Not sure

Synthetic oxytocin to augment labor

During your labor, did someone give you the drug Pitocin (“pit” or oxytocin) to speed up labor after labor contractions had begun?

•Yes

•No

•Not sure