Women's Decision-Making And Factors Affecting Their Choice Of ...

ole to play in their preferences for home or hospital birth. NHS latest policy on
childbirth was also considered, which calls for women to be given more
information to allow them to make informed decisions about their care, including
where they want to give birth (Department of Health 1993b)
The questions to ask, therefore, in the light of the review, are, firstly,
whether there is evidence for risk perception as having an impact on the choice of
place of birth. Secondly, did the review provide evidence about whether women
are aware of options available to them about the place of birth? The review did
not find answers for either question. The reason for this is that, regarding the first
question, there is a dearth of studies looking at expectant women's views about
why they choose to deliver where they do. Secondly, and most significant, is a
lack of exploratory studies to determine the women's views. The few available
studies used questionnaires, with specific questions that the researchers wanted to
investigate about decision-making regarding the place of birth. The method of
data collection used in the studies did not allow for spontaneous responses that
might give an indication of women's perceptions of risk related to childbirth.
However, eight out of the nine studies included in the review indicated
that women planning a hospital birth were concerned about safety. Secondly,
previous experience with a facility influenced where the woman planned to have
her baby. For example, some who had previous complications chose hospital in
case there was a repeat of the last experience while those who had a good
experience of home chose home again. The fear of complications and resultant
choice of hospital birth, and the choice of place of birth according to previous
experience could be seen to be an expression of perception of risk, resulting in the
choice of place perceived to be better equipped to deal with potential problems.
As regards the second question, the studies did not give an indication of whether
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