The Relationship between Healthcare Professionals’ Abusive Supervision and Childbirth Experience among Maternal: the Mediation Effect of Perceived Service Quality

Background: Disrespect and abuse of childbirth women in healthcare is a global problem that violates women's rights to respectful care. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between abusive supervision of healthcare professionals and childbirth experience, and to evaluate the mediating role of perceived service quality. Methods: This cross-sectional study employed a convenience sampling method to recruit 210 women from Taizhou Hospital, Zhejiang Province, China, between February to May 2025. Collected data was analyzed based on correlation analyses and mediation regression analyses. Results: Abusive supervision was negatively associated with childbirth experience (b=-0.68, p<0.01) and perceived service quality (b=-0.92, p<0.01). Perceived service quality was positively associated with childbirth experience (b=0.55, p<0.01). We introduced perceived service quality as a mediator variable, and the effect of abusive supervision on the childbirthexperience declined (b changed from -0.68 to -0.17, p<0.05). Perceived service quality played a significant partial mediating role between abusive supervision and the childbirth experience. Conclusion: Abusive supervision may lead to a negative childbirth experience, a phenomenon that should be given high priority. Better perceived service quality can enhance the childbirth experience. Person-Centred Maternity Care and respectful maternity care are encouraged.