Title:Prenatal Diagnosis Preferences of Turkish Women and the Association of
their Choices with Temperament
Volume: 18
Issue: 1
Author(s): Ozlem Banu Tulmac*Visal Buturak
Affiliation:
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Medical Faculty of Kirikkale University, Kirikkale, Turkey
Keywords:
prenatal screening, temperament, TEMPS-A, Turkish women, preferences, attitute
Abstract: Objectives: The purpose of this study is to explain which choices Turkish women prefer
for prenatal diagnosis more frequently and to find out if there is an association between temperament
and decisions through the prenatal diagnostic steps or consistency of decision.
Materials and Methods: This is a cross-sectional study on pregnant women who were admitted to
our outpatient clinic based on the responses to a self-administered questionnaire at the time of combined
test or triple test as the first prenatal screening test. 198 pregnant women completed self-administered
questionnaires comprising 131 questions including Temperament Evaluation of Memphis,
Pisa, Paris, and San Diego questionnaire (TEMPS-A).
Results: Overall, 88.4% of women were willing to learn if there was an anomaly, whereas 4.5%
did not, and 7.5% were uncertain. Of the included patients, 87.9% would decide on the screening
tests to be performed, 23.2% had a positive attitude on diagnostic tests, and only 13.1% were in
favour of termination. No association was found between the temperament scores and positive, negative,
and indecisive attitudes of the patients. In addition, there was no relation between being decisive
and indecisive, and the temperament scores except for cyclothymic scores. Indecisive attitude
to termination was associated with higher cyclothymic scores (5 (1–13) for decisive patients, 7
(0–17) for indecisive patients, p=0.035).
Conclusion: We found that affective temperaments measured by the TEMPS-A are not related to
the attitudes about prenatal screening or diagnostic tests or termination. Indecisive attitude to termination
was associated with higher cyclothymic scores.
