The Effect of Mindfulness-Based Intervention and Haptonomy Application on Birth Self-Efficacy, Prenatal Attachment and Anxiety Levels of Pregnant Women With Fear of ChildBirth

NCT06956898 | Not Yet Recruiting DMC

• 1 other identifier: 14219
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 225
• Locations: 0 countries
• Sites: N/A

Brief Summary

Fear of childbirth is a common condition encountered during pregnancy. Women with fear of childbirth have reduced birth self-efficacy, and it leads to mental health problems in the prenatal and postnatal periods, reducing mother-infant bonding. Therefore, it is of critical importance to implement effective and applicable interventions focused on health and well-being to reduce fear of childbirth. Considering the increasing cesarean section rates today, holistic intervention strategies that can positively affect the birth experiences of pregnant women and support their psychological well-being are needed. In this sense, mindfulness and haptonomy applications, which are holistic intervention strategies, will allow us to meet the psychological and emotional needs of pregnant women with fear of childbirth and improve their birth experiences. No study has been found in the literature that systematically evaluates the effects of a holistic intervention strategy for women with fear of childbirth during pregnancy. This study will enable the development of new and effective intervention strategies that can be used in prenatal and postnatal care practices and will guide clinical practices to make pregnant women's birth experiences more positive. In this study, the effects of mindfulness-based intervention and haptonomy application on childbirth self-efficacy, prenatal attachment and anxiety levels in pregnant women experiencing fear of childbirth will be evaluated. This research will be conducted as a randomized controlled experimental study. The data of the research will consist of 225 women (75 in the mindfulness group, 75 in the haptonomy group, and 75 in the control group) who applied to the Erzurum City Hospital Gynecology and Obstetrics Clinic between 01.06.2024 and 01.07.2025. The data will be collected face to face using the "Personal Information Form", "Wijma Childbirth Expectation/Experience Scale Version A", "Prenatal Attachment Inventory", and "State Anxiety Scale".

Conditions

Fear of Childbirth; Haptonomy; Mindfulness; Self-Efficacy; Attachment

Keywords

Attachment; Self-Efficacy; Mindfulness; Haptonomy; Fear of Childbirth

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (4)

• Change in Childbirth Fear

  Change in Fear of Childbirth Measure: Wijma Delivery Expectancy/Experience Questionnaire Version A (W-DEQ-A) Description: The W-DEQ-A is a 33-item Likert-type scale developed to assess fear of childbirth, labor-related thoughts and emotions, and anticipated stress. Each item is scored from 0 ("completely") to 5 ("not at all"), with some items reverse-coded. Total scores range from 0 to 165. Higher scores indicate greater fear of childbirth. Unit of Measure: Score on W-DEQ-A (0-165) Time Frame: Baseline (Week 28), immediately after training (Week 37), and two weeks after training (Week 39)

  "Baseline (28th week of pregnancy)" and "Post-test immediately after the training" and "Post-test 2 weeks after the training"

• Change in Childbirth Self-Efficacy

  Measure: Childbirth Self-Efficacy Inventory (CSEI) Description: The CSEI measures women's confidence in coping with labor. It consists of 32 items divided into two subscales: outcome expectancy and efficacy expectancy. Each item is rated on a scale from 1 to 10. Total scores range from 32 to 320. Higher scores reflect greater self-efficacy during childbirth. Unit of Measure: Score on CSEI (32-320) Time Frame: Baseline (Week 28), immediately after training (Week 37), and two weeks after training (Week 39)

  "Baseline (28th week of pregnancy)" and "Post-test immediately after the training" and "Post-test 2 weeks after the training"

• Change in Prenatal Attachment

  Measure: Prenatal Attachment Inventory (PAI) Description: The PAI is a 21-item instrument used to assess a pregnant woman's emotional attachment to her unborn baby. Items are scored from 1 to 4. Total scores range from 21 to 84. Higher scores indicate stronger prenatal attachment. Unit of Measure: Score on PAI (21-84) Time Frame: Baseline (Week 28), immediately after training (Week 37), and two weeks after training (Week 39)

  "Baseline (28th week of pregnancy)" and "Post-test immediately after the training" and "Post-test 2 weeks after the training"

• Change in Trait Anxiety

  Measure: State-Trait Anxiety Inventory - Trait Form (STAI-T) Description: The STAI-T measures an individual's general tendency to experience anxiety. The scale consists of 20 items rated on a 4-point Likert scale. Total scores range from 20 to 80. Higher scores indicate higher levels of trait anxiety. Unit of Measure: Score on STAI-T (20-80) Time Frame: Baseline (Week 28), immediately after training (Week 37), and two weeks after training (Week 39)

  "Baseline (28th week of pregnancy)" and "Post-test immediately after the training" and "Post-test 2 weeks after the training"

Other Outcomes (1)

• Personal Information Form

  "Baseline (28th week of pregnancy)"

Study Arms (3)

Mindfulness Group

EXPERIMENTAL

Providing mindfulness training

Other: Mindfulness Training

Haptonomy Group

EXPERIMENTAL

Providing haptonomy training

Other: Haptonomy Training

Control Group

NO INTERVENTION

No intervention will be applied to the control group.

Interventions

Mindfulness Training OTHER

Primiparous pregnant women in the experimental (mindfulness) group will be given training for 8 weeks starting from the 28th week.

Mindfulness Group

Haptonomy Training OTHER

Primiparous pregnant women in the experimental (mindfulness) group will be given training for 8 weeks starting from the 28th week.

Haptonomy Group

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years - 45 Years
• Gender Eligibility Details: Pregnant women will be included in the study.
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64)

You may qualify if:

• Being a primary school graduate,
• Women in their 28th week of pregnancy,
• Being primigravida,
• Women with a healthy pregnancy,
• Women with a Wijma Childbirth Expectation/Experience Scale version A score of ≥38,
• Women who agree to participate in the study and do not have any chronic health problems that would prevent them from participating.

You may not qualify if:

• Pregnant women who did not agree to participate in the study or who left the study at any stage of the study will constitute the study.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Bayburt University: lead

Central Study Contacts

Hafsa Kübra Işık, Research Assistant, MSc

CONTACT

+90 546 540 44 22; hafsakubra@yahoo.com

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: DOUBLE
• Who Masked: INVESTIGATOR, OUTCOMES ASSESSOR
• Purpose: SUPPORTIVE CARE
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Research Assistant

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: January 14, 2025
• First Posted: May 4, 2025
• Study Start: May 1, 2025
• Primary Completion: September 1, 2025
• Study Completion (Estimated): December 1, 2026
• Last Updated: May 4, 2025

Record last verified: 2025-04

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share