Extrovert personality type and prolonged second stage of labor

Abstract

Personality can affect individual’s response that implicate in duration of labor. Previous studies showed relationship between personality and duration of labor. People with extrovert personality type (type A) tend to be more susceptible to stress than introvert personality type (type B). This study aimed to determine correlation between extrovert personality type and prolonged second stage of labor by considering external variables such as maternal education, economy, age and parity. A case control study was conducted on 156 parturient women who fulfilled the inclusion criteria of study, such as in Yogyakarta in 2015. Case samples were 52 women with prolonged second stage of labor and control were 104 women with normal second stage of labor. Purposive sampling method was used. Personality type assessment used type A/B questionnaire of Jenkins Activity Survey. Data analysis used logistic regression. Results showed that 80.8% prolonged second stage of labor occurred in type A mothers and 19.2% in type B mothers. Extrovert personality type had a significant correlation with prolonged second stage of labor (p value < 0.05). Type A mothers have a risk 8.2 times (95% CI: 3.7-18.4) of prolonged second stage of labor than type B mothers after be controlled with economic status, parity, maternal education and age.