The Effect of Diaphragmatic Breathing Exercises on Fetal Anxiety and Coping With Prenatal Stress

NCT05954754 | Completed

• 1 other identifier: 2022/3797
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 108
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

Objective: This study was conducted to determine the effect of diaphragmatic breathing exercises on coping with fetal anxiety and prenatal stress during pregnancy. Methods: This randomized controlled study was carried out at a family health center in eastern Turkey. The study sample consisted of 106 pregnant women (experimental group, 54; control group, 54). Those in the experimental group received diaphragmatic breathing exercises five times in two weeks, one time via face-to-face session and 4 times twice a week via video call. Those in the control group received no intervention. Data were collected using the Revised-Prenatal Coping Inventory (NuPCI) and the Fetal Health Anxiety Inventory (FHAI).

Conditions

Coping With Prenatal Stress; Fetal Health Anxiety

Keywords

Pregnancy,; breathing exercises,; fetal anxiety,; stress,; coping

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Revised-Prenatal Coping Inventory (NuPCI)

  The scale measures pregnant women's coping styles and perceptions of stress. It consists of 30 items and three subscales: Planning-preparation, Avoidance, and Spiritual-positive. This is a 5-point Likert-type scale, scoring from 0 (never) to 4 (very often). Higher planning-preparation and spiritual-positive subscale scores and lower avoidance subscale scores indicates higher coping with stress.

  Change from Revised-Prenatal Coping Inventory at 2 weeks

Secondary Outcomes (1)

• Fetal Health Anxiety Inventory (FHAI)

  Change from Fetal Health Anxiety Inventory at 2 weeks

Study Arms (2)

Diaphragmatic breathing exercise

EXPERIMENTAL

Diaphragmatic breathing exercise training was given individually to each pregnant women in the experimental group by one of the trained researchers. Two weeks after the first application, the researcher made the pregnant woman repeat the application 2 days a week via video call. Thus, a total of five diaphragmatic breathing exercises were applied to pregnant women in the experimental group during two weeks. They continued to do breathing exercises for 20-30 minutes a day for ten minutes each day for two weeks as they could tolerate.

Other: Diaphragmatic Breathing Exercises

Control

NO INTERVENTION

The researchers applied no initiative to the control group, and the women in the control group solely had the routine checks. The women in the control group filled out all pretest forms(Personal Information Form,Revised-Prenatal Coping Inventory (NuPCI), Fetal Health Anxiety Inventory (FHAI)) were re-administered 2 weeks later to women who did not receive any intervention.

Interventions

Diaphragmatic Breathing Exercises OTHER

Diaphragmatic breathing exercise training was given individually to each pregnant women in the experimental group by one of the trained researchers. Two weeks after the first application, the researcher made the pregnant woman repeat the application 2 days a week via video call. Thus, a total of five diaphragmatic breathing exercises were applied to pregnant women in the experimental group during two weeks. They continued to do breathing exercises for 20-30 minutes a day for ten minutes each day for two weeks as they could tolerate.

Diaphragmatic breathing exercise

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years+
• Gender Eligibility Details: being ≥18 years old
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• being pregnant women in their second and third trimesters (between 28-36 weeks);
• being ≥18 years old;
• having no medical pregnancy complications;
• having no diagnosed mental illness;
• having no fetal anomaly diagnosis;
• using a smartphone.

You may not qualify if:

• Diagnosis of any chronic disease and initiation of medication for chronic disease during the research process
• Detection of fetal congenital malformation in the research process

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Inonu University: lead

Study Sites (1)

Fırat University

Elâzığ, Province, 23119, Turkey (Türkiye)

Location

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: SINGLE
• Who Masked: PARTICIPANT
• Masking Details: This study was designed as a randomized controlled trial
• Purpose: SUPPORTIVE CARE
• Intervention Model: CROSSOVER
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Assitant Professor

Model Details: This study was designed as a randomized controlled trial

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: July 6, 2023
• First Posted: July 20, 2023
• Study Start: September 7, 2022
• Primary Completion: March 1, 2023
• Study Completion: April 30, 2023
• Last Updated: July 20, 2023

Record last verified: 2023-07

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

TU (1)