The Effects of Antenatal Education and Counseling on Childbirth Fear of Nulliparous Women

NCT ID: NCT04173351

Last Updated: 2019-11-21

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: COMPLETED
• Clinical Phase: NA
• Total Enrollment: 132 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2016-02-15
• Study Completion Date: 2017-01-15

Brief Summary

This study investigates the effects of antenatal education and counseling on childbirth preparation and pain management given to nulliparous women during the last trimester on their childbirth fear and childbirth attitudes.

Detailed Description

Pregnancy is an important period of life that the pregnant women have biological, physiological, emotional and social changes in order to adapt to maternity. Fear of childbirth is a common problem and has a negative impact on the childbirth experience. The prevalence of fear associated with childbirth is around 20% but approximately 6 to 10% of women experience intense fear of labour. In Turkey, it estimated that the prevalence of childbirth fear among the Turkish pregnant women was approximately 21% . Fear of childbirth can cause significant problems during childbirth and the postpartum period. This fear is commonly associated with concern for the baby, pain in childbirth, longer first and second stage of labour and dissatisfaction with the childbirth experiences. Especially nulliparous women experience fear of childbirth more than multipar women. Fear of childbirth has also been implicated in women's requests for caesarean sections and increased rate of elective caesarean sections. Antenatal education is an essential health service throughout the world. Antenatal education during the last trimester may decrease childbirth fear. Also, pregnant women who received antenatal education, had a positive birth experience, better maternal adjustment and fewer symptoms of postnatal depression. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of antenatal education and counseling on childbirth preparation and pain management given to nulliparous women during the last trimester on their childbirth fear and childbirth attitudes.

This randomized controlled study was conducted at Gulhane Training and Research Hospital, Obstetrics and Gynecology clinic between February 2016 and January 2017. 132 nulliparous women between the 28th and 34th gestational weeks constituted the sample of the study. Data was collected by using personal information questionnaire, the Wijma Delivery Expectancy/Experience Questionairre (W-DEQ) Version A, W-DEQ Version B, and Childbirth Attitudes Questionairre (CAQ). Following the pretest, participants in the intervention group received childbirth preparation education and telephone counseling. Participants in the control group received no intervention other than the routine antenatal follow-up. For both groups, pretest and posttest were conducted during the same days, antenatal evaluation took place between the 38th and the 40th gestational weeks and postnatal evaluation was conducted during the first and the second postnatal days. The IBM SPSS (Statistical package for the Social Sciences) 22.0 package program was used to evaluate the data obtained in the study.

Conditions

Fear of Childbirth

Study Design

• Allocation Method: RANDOMIZED
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Primary Study Purpose: PREVENTION
• Blinding Strategy: DOUBLE

Study Groups

Intervention

Pregnant women in intervention group completed the PIQ, W-DEQ-A and CAQ between the 28th and the 34th gestational weeks. Date of the next antenatal follow-up of the participants in the intervention group was recorded and they were given an appointment for the antenatal education. Women, whose date of next antenatal follow-up was unknown, were asked to inform the researchers about their appointment. Following the antenatal follow-up, the pregnant women in the intervention group were given an antenatal childbirth education and an educational brochure after the education. Also, provided telephone counseling to the intervention group one week after the education. Participants in the intervention group filled the W-DEQ-A and CAQ during the 38th and the 40th gestational weeks. Finally, were completed the W-DEQ-B during the first and the second postnatal days.

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Education and Counseling

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Following the pretests between the 28th and the 34th gestational weeks, nulliparous women in the intervention group received a presentation on childbirth preparation at a room of the obstetrics clinic. The education was completed in two sections in a single day. Each session took about 45 minutes there was a 15-minute break between the sessions. Following the education, the questions of the participants were responded and educational brochures on childbirth preparation were given to the participants. One of the researchers of this study telephoned the participant women in the intervention group one week after the childbirth education and provided counseling service about the demands and the points that the nulliparous women wondered.

Control

Pregnant women in control group completed the PIQ, W-DEQ-A and CAQ between the 28th and the 34th gestational weeks. Participants in the control group filled the W-DEQ-A and CAQ during the 38th and the 40th gestational weeks. Finally, were completed the W-DEQ-B during the first and the second postnatal days.

Group Type: NO_INTERVENTION

No interventions assigned to this group

Interventions

Education and Counseling

Following the pretests between the 28th and the 34th gestational weeks, nulliparous women in the intervention group received a presentation on childbirth preparation at a room of the obstetrics clinic. The education was completed in two sections in a single day. Each session took about 45 minutes there was a 15-minute break between the sessions. Following the education, the questions of the participants were responded and educational brochures on childbirth preparation were given to the participants. One of the researchers of this study telephoned the participant women in the intervention group one week after the childbirth education and provided counseling service about the demands and the points that the nulliparous women wondered.

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

• Nulliparity
• 28-34th gestational age
• Single fetus
• not receive IVF treatment
• Normal vaginal birth

Exclusion Criteria

• Caesarean section

• Minimum Eligible Age: 18 Years
• Maximum Eligible Age: 35 Years
• Eligible Sex: FEMALE
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Sponsors

Saglik Bilimleri Universitesi Gulhane Tip Fakultesi

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

Responsibility Role: SPONSOR

Principal Investigators

Gulten Guvenc, Prof. Dr.

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

University of Health Sciences, Gulhane Faculty of Nursing

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Other Identifiers

50687469-1491

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id