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Postpartum Perceptions of Touch Received During Labor
Author(s) -
Penny Karen S.
Publication year - 1979
Publication title -
research in nursing and health
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.836
H-Index - 85
eISSN - 1098-240X
pISSN - 0160-6891
DOI - 10.1002/nur.4770020103
Subject(s) - perception , psychology , exploratory research , coping (psychology) , social psychology , developmental psychology , marital status , clinical psychology , medicine , sociology , population , environmental health , neuroscience , anthropology
An exploratory study using interviews of 150 postpartum women was done to determine their perceptions of the touch they received during labor. Data were analyzed for the subjects' overall perceptions of being touched during labor and for their positive and negative touch experiences. Significant differences in age, race, and marital status were found between subjects who perceived touch as negative and those who perceived touch as positive. Significant differences were also found between descriptions of positive and negative touch experiences with regard to who touched the subject, what part of the body was touched, and the effect of touch on the subject in coping with labor. Implications for nursing care are discussed.