Maternal Inner Strength Mediates the Longitudinal Association Between Family Emotional Expression and Fear of Childbirth: A Cross-Lagged Panel Mediation Analysis

Purpose

Fear of childbirth (FOC) increases maternal and perinatal adverse health risks, and family factors are core predictors of FOC. This study aimed to clarify the mediating pathway through which familial emotional expression (FEE) is associated with FOC via pregnant women's inner strength (IS), so as to supply empirical basis for antenatal psychological risk management.