Patterns and Associated Factors of Labour Pain Intensity During Childbirth and Immediately After Delivery among Postnatal Women in Obio/Akpor, Rivers State, Nigeria

Abstract

Background: Labour pain is the most intense acute pain experiences in obstetrics, profoundly influencing maternal satisfaction, psychological well-being, and postpartum recovery. In resource-limited environments with limited pharmacological options, pain intensity during and immediately after childbirth is associated with physiological factors, healthcare provider’s practices, demographic profiles, and care delivery deficiencies. This study examined patterns of labour pain intensity, during postpartum, associated demographic and obstetric factors among postnatal women in primary healthcare centres in Obio/Akpor, Rivers State, Nigeria.
Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive survey was employed in the study. The study population comprised of postnatal women aged 15–49 years who had vaginal delivery within the three months prior to data collection. 393 participants were recruited from six selected centres through simple random sampling. Data collection involved a validated questionnaire, with test-retest reliability coefficient of 0.78, was used to assess sociodemographics, obstetrics, and verbal-rated pain intensity. Analysis was conducted using descriptive statistics, chi-square tests, and binary logistic regression, using SPSS version 27 (p < 0.05).
Results: Moderate-to-severe labour pain was reported by 72.1% of the total number of the participants, while 64.9% reported that they endured intense pain for 1–6 hours. In post-delivery, pain reduced notably, but
37.1% of the mothers experienced moderate-to-severe residuals. Chi-square tests showed significant links between labour pain intensity and age (χ² = 16.500, p = 0.036), education (χ² = 15.867, p = 0.044), parity (χ² = 31.330, p = 0.001), labour onset (χ² = 32.454, p < 0.001), and delivery type (χ² = 30.142, p < 0.001). Logistic regression indicated that induced labour raised severe pain odds by 46% (AOR = 1.46, 95% CI [1.01, 2.09], p = 0.042).
Conclusion: labour pain imposes a substantial burden - intensified by interventions like induction, alongside primiparity, and low education. Recommendations include application of standardised pain protocols by providers, non-pharmacological supports, indication-restricted inductions, and education for at-risk groups to provide equitable and patient-centred care.