Perceptions of traumatic birth in Turkish films and television series

Hacer Y. Dilcen, Yasemin Bilişli, Güleser Ada, Ebru Bulut

Abstract

This study examines the impact of media depictions of childbirth on viewers’ perceptions, particularly regarding fear and anxiety caused by traumatic birth scenes in Turkish TV series and films on YouTube. In December 2022, 240 childbirth-related videos were identified using keywords "Birth videos," "Birth scenes," and "Birth footage." After applying specific criteria, 80 Turkish-language videos were analyzed through quantitative content analysis using SPSS 25.0. Key findings reveal that 98.8% of depicted births were vaginal, with 41.3% in hospitals and 60.0% being preterm. Sudden pain and panic were prominent, with 32.5% of scenes inducing fear, and 63.8% describing pain as unbearable. Themes included maternal/neonatal death fears, spousal support, and privacy. Such portrayals influence reproductive health perceptions, potentially increasing cesarean rates. Addressing inaccurate representations can help promote positive childbirth perceptions. Collaboration between media creators and healthcare professionals is essential for improving maternal and societal outcomes

Full Text:

PDF

References

Yalniz Dilcen H, Akin B and Türkmen H. The relationship of

prenatal attachment level to traumatic childbirth

perception and posttraumatic stress in pregnancy.

Perspectives in Psychiatric Care 2022;58(1):221–228.

Koster D, Romijn C, Sakko E, Stam C, Steenhuis N, de Vries

D, van Willigen I, Fontein-Kuipers Y.Traumatic

childbirth experiences: practice-based implications

for maternity care professionals from the woman’s

perspective.

Scandinavian

;34(3):792–799.

Caring

Sciences

Yalnız Dilcen H, Aslantekin F and Aktaş N. The relationship

of psychosocial well-being and social support with

pregnant women’s perceptions of traumatic childbirth.

Scandinavian

Journal

;35(2):650–658.

of

Caring

Sciences

Yalnız Dilcen H and Genç R. The Role of Midwife in the

Prevention

of

;14(3):64–73.

Traumatic

Birth.

NWSA

Graaff L de, Honig A, Pampus MG van and Stramrood CAI.

Preventing post-traumatic stress disorder following

childbirth and traumatic birth experiences: a

systematic review. 2018;(97):648–656.

Aktas S. Multigravidas’ perceptions of traumatic childbirth:

Its relation to some factors, the effect of previous type

of birth and experience. Med-Science 2018;1.

TNSA. tnsa 2018 [Homepage on the Internet]. 2018 [cited

Mar

;Available

http://www.sck.gov.tr/wp

from:

content/uploads/2020/08/TNSA2018_ana_Rapor.pdf

Republic of Turkey Ministry of Health. Republic of Turkey

Ministry of Health Health Statistics Yearbook 2019

[Homepage on the Internet]. Ankara: 2021; Available

from:

https://dosyasb.saglik.gov.tr/Eklenti/40564/0/saglik

istatistikleri-yilligi-2019pdf.pdf

WHO. Intrapartum care for a positive childbirth experience.

Geneva: World Health Organization 2018;20180803.

Covolo L, Ceretti E, Passeri C, Boletti M and Gelatti U. What

arguments on vaccinations run through YouTube videos in Italy? A content analysis. Human Vaccines

& Immunotherapeutics 2017;13(7):1693–1699.

Bilişli Y. Culture of Fear in Health News Published in Digital

Media. In: Ayhan A, editor. Digital Communication.

Konya: Literatürk, 2019; p. 49–77.

Lou C and Yuan S. Influencer Marketing: How Message

Value and Credibility Affect Consumer Trust of

Branded Content on Social Media. Journal of

Interactive Advertising 2019;19(1):58–73.

Das R. Mediated subjectivities of the maternal: A critique of

childbirth videos on YouTube. The Communication

Review 2018;21(1):66–84.

Sears CA and Godderis R. Roar Like a Tiger on TV?

Constructions of women and childbirth in reality TV.

Feminist Media Studies 2011;11(2):181–195.

Liechty T, Coyne SM, Collier KM and Sharp AD. “It’s Just

Not Very Realistic”: Perceptions of Media Among

Pregnant

and

Postpartum

Women. Health

Communication 2018;33(7):851–859.

Madathil KC, Rivera-Rodriguez AJ, Greenstein LS and

Gramopadhye AK. Healthcare information on

YouTube: A systematic review [Homepage on the

Internet]. 2015 [cited 2024 Mar 22];Available from:

https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/146045821

Eysenbach G and Till JE. Ethical issues in qualitative

research

on

internet

;323(7321):1103–1105.

communities.

BMJ

Kelly-Hedrick M, Grunberg PH, Brochu F and Zelkowitz P.

“It’s Totally Okay to Be Sad, but Never Lose Hope”:

Content Analysis of Infertility-Related Videos on

YouTube in Relation to Viewer Preferences. J Med

Internet Res 2018;20(5):e10199.

Declercq ER, Sakala C, Corry MP, Applebaum S and

Herrlich A. Listening to Mothers SM III: Pregnancy

and Birth. New York: Childbirth Connection, 2013.

West JE. Technology Knows Best: The Cultural Work of

Hospital Birth in 21st Century Film. Literature and

Medicine 2011;29(1):104–126.

Tyler I and Baraitser L. Private View, Public Birth: Making

Feminist Sense of the New Visual Culture of

Childbirth. Studies in the Maternal [homepage on the

Internet] 2013 [cited 2024 Mar 22];5(2). Available

from:

http://www.mamsie.bbk.ac.uk/articles/abstract/10.16

/sim.18/

De Benedictis S. Watching One Born Every Minute:

Negotiating the terms of the ‘good birth’. In: Rachel

M, Wheatley H, Wood H, editors. Television for

women: New directions. London: Routledge, 2016; p.

–127.

Bull S. Midwives, medicine and natural births: Female

agency in Scandinavian birthing shows. Critical

Studies in Television 2016;11(2):177–189.

Morris T and McInerney K. Media Representations of

Pregnancy and Childbirth: An Analysis of Reality

Television Programs in the United States. Birth

;37(2):134–140.

West JE. Technology Knows Best: The Cultural Work of

Hospital Birth in 21st Century Film. Literature and

Medicine 2011;29(1):104–126.

Refbacks

  • There are currently no refbacks.