The Effect of Watching Cat Videos on Non-Stress Test Results And Stress Parameters in Pregnant Women

NCT ID: NCT07332039

Last Updated: 2026-02-11

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: NOT_YET_RECRUITING
• Clinical Phase: NA
• Total Enrollment: 50 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2026-01-25
• Study Completion Date: 2026-02-05

Brief Summary

Pregnancy is a period in which women are physiologically and psychologically vulnerable, and the stress experienced can affect both maternal mental health and fetal well-being. The non-stress test (NST), used to assess fetal health in the final weeks of pregnancy, can cause anxiety in some women because it requires the mother to remain supine and immobile for extended periods. Prolonged testing or non-reactive results can also increase this stress. Therefore, simple methods are needed to reduce stress during NST. Humorous and cute content, especially animal videos, is known to promote positive emotions and psychological relaxation. This study evaluated the effects of watching cat videos during NST on stress levels and fetal physiological parameters in primiparous pregnant women.

Detailed Description

Pregnancy is a sensitive period during which women experience a variety of changes, both physiologically and psychologically. Stress factors encountered during this period can negatively impact the mother's mental health and fetal well-being. Non-stress testing (NST) is a non-invasive screening method frequently performed in the final weeks of pregnancy to assess fetal health. However, during the NST, the mother lies motionless in a supine position for approximately 20 minutes, during which time she attempts to obtain sufficient data on the baby's heart rate and movements, which can cause stress and anxiety in some women. A prolonged duration or a non-reactive test result can be a cause for concern. Therefore, simple and effective methods are needed to reduce maternal stress during the NST. Humorous and cute content, especially animal videos, are known to evoke positive emotions and provide psychological relief in viewers. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of watching a cat video during the NST procedure on stress parameters and fetal physiological parameters in primiparous pregnant women.

Conditions

Maternal Stress; Fetal Well-Being

Study Design

• Allocation Method: RANDOMIZED
• Intervention Model: SINGLE_GROUP
• Primary Study Purpose: SUPPORTIVE_CARE
• Blinding Strategy: SINGLE

Study Groups

Control Group

Participants randomly assigned to the control group will also rest in a private room for 10 minutes, after which all initial measurements will be taken. A routine NST will then be performed.

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Non-Video Watching Group

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Participants randomly assigned to the control group will also rest for 10 minutes in a private room and all initial measurements will be taken.

Intervention group

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Group watching cat videos

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

The cat video, which will be shown to pregnant women as part of the study, will be implemented as an intervention to reduce participants' stress levels during the NST. The NST session takes approximately 20 minutes, and the video will be played for this duration. The content of the video will be carefully selected to create a relaxing and entertaining effect on the audience. Participants will begin watching the video immediately after connecting to the NST device and will continue to watch throughout the NST. This process aims to calm participants, reduce stress levels, and promote overall relaxation.

Interventions

Group watching cat videos

The cat video, which will be shown to pregnant women as part of the study, will be implemented as an intervention to reduce participants' stress levels during the NST. The NST session takes approximately 20 minutes, and the video will be played for this duration. The content of the video will be carefully selected to create a relaxing and entertaining effect on the audience. Participants will begin watching the video immediately after connecting to the NST device and will continue to watch throughout the NST. This process aims to calm participants, reduce stress levels, and promote overall relaxation.

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Non-Video Watching Group

Participants randomly assigned to the control group will also rest for 10 minutes in a private room and all initial measurements will be taken.

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

• Pregnant women who are primiparous,
• Able to communicate in Turkish,
• In their 34th-40th weeks of pregnancy,
• Have no problems that would prevent them from viewing visual or auditory materials,
• Have the cognitive ability to understand interactive video content,
• Have not engaged in physical exercise for at least 2 hours prior to fetal heart rate monitoring will be included in the study.

Exclusion Criteria

• Pregnant women with multiple pregnancies,
• Uterine contractions detected during NST,
• Diagnosed with a high-risk pregnancy (preeclampsia, gestational diabetes, placenta previa, etc.),
• A phobia of cats (ailurophobia),
• Pregnant women who became pregnant using assisted reproductive technologies (ART),
• Have a history of a diagnosed endocrinological (e.g., hypothyroidism, hyperthyroidism, Cushing's syndrome) or psychiatric (e.g., anxiety disorder, depression) disease will be excluded from the study.

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

Sponsors

Istanbul University - Cerrahpasa

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

Rukiye Duman

Research assistant

Responsibility Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Locations

Istanbul University- Cerrahpasa

Istanbul, , Turkey (Türkiye)

Countries

Turkey (Türkiye)

Central Contacts

Rukiye Duman Research assistant

Role: CONTACT

rukiye.duman@iuc.edu.tr

+90 5530315895

Facility Contacts

Rukiye Research assistant

Role: primary

rukiye.duman@iuc.edu.tr

+90 5530315895

Other Identifiers

IstanbulUC-EBE-RD-02

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id