The Effect of Podcast Training on Birth Fear in Couples

NCT06929975 | Enrolling By Invitation

• 1 other identifier: 2025/160
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 50
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

Birth fear refers to intense feelings of anxiety, fear, and worry regarding the childbirth process, often arising from concerns about physical pain, complications, or uncertainty about the baby's health. Many women experience this fear during pregnancy, which, in some cases, may develop into a clinical condition known as tokophobia . Birth fear can increase stress levels, disrupting the mother's hormonal balance, which may prolong labor, increase the risk of complications, and negatively impact fetal development. Additionally, it can lead to issues such as loss of self-confidence, anxiety, and depression in the mother, while causing communication problems and lack of support between partners. Birth fear affects not only the labor process but also the postpartum period, potentially leading to postpartum depression, trauma, and difficulties in mother-infant bonding. All these factors can adversely impact the psychosocial well-being of both women and couples. Therefore, it is crucial to develop interventions aimed at recognizing and reducing birth fear.

Conditions

Pregnancy; Birth Fear

Keywords

birth fear; pregnancy; podcast

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Wijma Delivery Expectancy Questionnaire (W-DEQ)

  This scale measures fear and expectations related to childbirth. Form A focuses on measuring fear of childbirth during pregnancy, while Form B assesses the postpartum process. The W-DEQ-A Form consists of 33 items. Low fear and anxiety are scored between 33-55 points, moderate fear and anxiety between 56-80 points, and high fear and anxiety between 81-165 points. It has three subscales: "Fear and Anxiety of Childbirth," "Expectations Regarding Childbirth," and "Emotional Responses to the Birth Process." The W-DEQ-B Form consists of 14 items across three subscales: "Fear of Childbirth," "Physical Reactions," and "Psychological Reactions." Low fear is scored between 14-28 points, moderate fear between 29-49 points, and high fear between 50-70 points.

  8 month

Secondary Outcomes (1)

• Tilburg Pregnancy Distress Scale:

  8 month

Study Arms (2)

podcast

EXPERIMENTAL

In accordance with the established training program for participants, a four-phase podcast listening process aimed at reducing birth fear will be implemented. The first podcast will be launched at the 33rd week of pregnancy, with the goal of helping participants gain information about the childbirth process and reduce their anxiety. Following that, a second podcast will be played at the 34th week of pregnancy, focusing on supporting psychological preparation for childbirth. The third podcast, to be implemented at the 35th week, will address topics such as relaxation techniques and breathing exercises that can be used during labor. Finally, the fourth podcast, played at the 36th week, will emphasize the importance of positive thinking and partner support during labor. To evaluate the effectiveness of the podcast sessions, psychological status and partner support scales will be applied at specific weeks.

Behavioral: podcast training

control

NO INTERVENTION

Participants in the control group will not be provided with any podcast sessions; they will continue to benefit only from routine pregnancy follow-ups and existing healthcare services. This group will progress through the natural course without any special interventions, and standard prenatal care procedures will be applied. To measure changes in participants' birth fear and psychological conditions, data will be collected by applying specific scales at the 32nd, 37th, and 39th weeks of pregnancy. Additionally, the same scales will be used on the 2nd postpartum day to assess participants' psychological conditions after childbirth.

Interventions

podcast training BEHAVIORAL

In accordance with the established training program for participants, a four-phase podcast listening process aimed at reducing birth fear will be implemented. The first podcast will be launched at the 33rd week of pregnancy, with the goal of helping participants gain information about the childbirth process and reduce their anxiety. Following that, a second podcast will be played at the 34th week of pregnancy, focusing on supporting psychological preparation for childbirth. The third podcast, to be implemented at the 35th week, will address topics such as relaxation techniques and breathing exercises that can be used during labor. Finally, the fourth podcast, played at the 36th week, will emphasize the importance of positive thinking and partner support during labor. To evaluate the effectiveness of the podcast sessions, psychological status and partner support scales will be applied at specific weeks.

podcast

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 19 Years - 35 Years
• Gender Eligibility Details: Pregnant women
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64)

You may qualify if:

• years old married primiparous 2nd trimester pregnant women

You may not qualify if:

• Pregnant women with risky pregnancies illiteracy problems with internet access visual and hearing impairment

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Istanbul University - Cerrahpasa: lead

Study Sites (1)

Ağrı Training and Research Hospital

Ağrı, Turkey (Türkiye)

Location

Related Publications (1)

• Cai F, McCabe M, Srinivas SK. A randomized trial assessing the impact of educational podcasts on personal control and satisfaction during childbirth. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2023 May;228(5):592.e1-592.e10. doi: 10.1016/j.ajog.2023.01.021. Epub 2023 Feb 13.

  PMID: 36791987 RESULT

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: SINGLE
• Who Masked: PARTICIPANT
• Purpose: TREATMENT
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Lecturer

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: April 8, 2025
• First Posted: April 16, 2025
• Study Start: April 14, 2026
• Primary Completion (Estimated): December 7, 2026
• Study Completion (Estimated): December 30, 2026
• Last Updated: April 17, 2026

Record last verified: 2025-04

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

TU (1)