Introduction:

Birth violence refers to inappropriate behaviors and inadequate care experienced by women during pregnancy and childbirth. This study aimed to determine the dimensions of birth violence and its associated factors in maternity wards in Kashan, Iran.

Materials and Methods:

This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted on 395 postpartum women in 2024. Simple random sampling was performed in public and private hospitals in Kashan city. Data were collected using demographic and obstetric information forms and the Childbirth Violence Questionnaire (CBVQ). Data analysis was conducted using SPSS version 24 with chi-square, Fisher’s exact test, ANOVA, and multiple logistic regression. A p-value less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant.

Results:

In the dimension of “psychological and physical abuse,” the highest mean score was related to an inappropriate environment. Regarding “unprofessional care,” 23.8% of women reported experiencing rough examinations. In the dimension of “delay in care,” the most frequent response was “never.” In the dimension of “family support,” the highest mean score was related to feelings of fatigue and exhaustion due to insufficient support from family and the spouse. Multiple linear regression analysis showed that education level, income, number of pregnancies, and type of care provider were significantly associated with some dimensions of childbirth violence (P<0.05).

Conclusion:

Individual, socioeconomic, and obstetric characteristics are associated with different dimensions of childbirth violence. Identifying these factors may help determine vulnerable groups and guide interventions to improve the quality of respectful maternity care.

Keywords:

Obstetric violence; Maternity ward; Maternity care