en Midwifery Original Article <div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:12px;"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"><b>Background:</b> Fear of childbirth (FOC) is a widespread maternal health concern associated with heightened anxiety, increased medical interventions, and negative birth experiences. While prevalent globally, FOC remains underexamined in low-resource settings such as Bangladesh. This study aimed to determine the level of FOC and identify associated factors among pregnant women in Bangladesh.<br> <b>Methods:</b> A cross-sectional study was conducted among 262 pregnant women attending antenatal care at Shariatpur Government Upazila Health Complex (December 2023&ndash;May 2024). Data were collected using a structured questionnaire and the Melender FOC Scale. Participants were selected using a convenience sampling technique. Fear was categorized as low, moderate, or high. Descriptive analysis, Chi-square tests, ordinal logistic regression, and multivariate logistic regression were performed to identify predictors of FOC using SPSS version 25.<br> <b>Results:</b> A survey of 262 pregnant women revealed a moderate mean level of fear of childbirth (FOC) (47.45 &plusmn; 6.9). Regression analysis identified several significant predictors of higher FOC. The strongest associations were with limited spousal support (AOR = 2.64; 95% CI: 1.38&ndash;5.06; p = 0.003) and not attending childbirth classes (AOR = 2.33; 95% CI: 1.21&ndash;4.49; p = 0.011). Other significant factors included younger maternal age, lower education (in both the woman and her husband), rural residence, and lower socioeconomic status. These findings underscore the multifactorial nature of FOC, highlighting the need for interventions that address its key social and educational determinants.<br> <b>Conclusion</b>: FOC is highly prevalent among pregnant women in Bangladesh and is influenced by sociodemographic, obstetric, and psychosocial factors. Routine screening, culturally sensitive prenatal education, improved communication, and partner-inclusive support are recommended to reduce FOC and improve maternal outcomes.</span></span></div> Fear, Parturition, Pregnant People, Bangladesh 28 33 http://nmj.goums.ac.ir/browse.php?a_code=A-10-2182-1&slc_lang=en&sid=1 Habiba Khanom orpitakhanom.sumona77@gmail.com 100319475328460016963 100319475328460016963 Yes Department of Nursing Management, Kumudini Nursing College, Mirzapur, Tangail, Bangladesh Sharmin Hossain sharmin@buhs.ac.bd 100319475328460016964 100319475328460016964 No Department of Health Promotion and Health Education, Bangladesh University of Health Sciences, Dhaka, Bangladesh Rabiul Islam rabiulislamjuphi@gmail.com 100319475328460016965 100319475328460016965 No Division of Public Health, Department of Family and Preventive Medicine, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, United States of America; Department of Public Health, Independent University, Dhaka, Bangladesh Liton Baroi litonbaroi0991@gmail.com 100319475328460016966 100319475328460016966 No DNCC Covid-19 Dedicated Hospital, Mohakhali, Dhaka, Bangladesh Eashmin Akter Rima R piara.khanom19@gmail.com 100319475328460016967 0009-0004-0910-4639 No Upazila Health Complex Zanjira, Shariatpur, Bangladesh Jannatul Ferdoues Mitu jfmitu21@gmail.com 100319475328460016968 0009-0007-9218-6592 No BRAC James P Grant School of Public Health (JPGSPH), Midwifery Education Program, BRAC JPGSPH, BRAC University, Dhaka, Bangladesh Chandra Das chandrakorobibd1@gmail.com 100319475328460016969 0009-0005-3836-4621 No Gopalganj Rasel Nursing College, Muksudpur, Gopalganj, Dhaka, Bangladesh Sumaia Afroz sumaiadu1991@gmail.com 100319475328460016970 0009-0000-5604-6188 No National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases (NICVD), Dhaka, Bangladesh Jannatul Ferdowsy 100319475328460016971 0009-0000-5377-4913 No Prince Nursing College, Savar, Dhaka, Bangladesh Aysha Sultana Luvna 100319475328460016972 0009-0002-3415-6030 No Army Nursing College, Cumilla, Bangladesh Lita Bose 100319475328460016973 0009-0001-9757-7169 No Department of Epidemiology, Prince Nursing College, Savar, Bangladesh Shukla Sarker shuklasarker66@yahoo.com 100319475328460016974 0009-0003-8460-5209 No Nabojug College, Dhamrai, Dhaka, Bangladesh Alamgir Hossain alamgir.hossain.232@northsouth.edu 100319475328460016975 0009-0006-4336-4527 No Bangladesh Critical Care and General Hospital, Lalmatia, Dhaka, Bangladesh