Abstract
Purpose
The objective of this research is to apply economic evaluation to clarify the importance of childbirth education from the perspective of the consumer and to reveal reasons for its perceived importance and related factors.
Method
In applying the Contingent Value Method (hereafter, CVM) to survey 383 pregnant women (71.4%) attending a childbirth facility, a questionnaire was used to investigate the perceived importance of childbirth education based on willingness to pay (WTP), along with associated reasons and related factors.
Results
1. For the importance of childbirth education questionnaire, 34 women (8.9%) did not respond to the question regarding WTP for childbirth education, 32 women (8.3%) responded that it should be free and 315 women (82.8%) answered that it should cost the consumer. For those WTP, the mean price was 900.8 ± 675.5 yen.
2. The following nine factors were found to contribute toward the importance of childbirth education: interaction with others, expectations concerning expertise, embodiment of childbirth and childrearing, alleviation of anxiety and stress, regard for individuality, adaptation to changes in family relations, atmosphere creation, material satisfaction, and the specification of conditions/environments.
3. WTP was found to be linked to: pregnancy term, and whether the pregnant woman had previously participated in childbirth education.
Conclusion
The importance of childbirth education for pregnant women is revealed by the WTP, which was mean 900.8 yen. The WTP was lower the longer the term of pregnancy and the more they had participated in childbirth education previously. Furthermore, nine factors were revealed that contribute to the importance of childbirth education.
