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The Effect of Stress Ball on Anxiety, Comfort and Non Stress Test Parameters of Pregnant Women During Non Stress Testing

The Effect of Stress Ball on Anxiety, Comfort and Non Stress Test Parameters of Pregnant Women During Non Stress Testing: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Status
Completed
Phases
Unknown
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT06741254
Enrollment
70
Registered
2024-12-18
Start date
2024-12-20
Completion date
2025-05-20
Last updated
2026-07-01

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Anxiety, Comfort

Brief summary

Non-stress testing (NST) is used to assess fetal wellbeing and to detect and intervene early in fetuses at risk. NST is an easy to administer, noninvasive, prenatal assessment method used from 32 weeks of gestation to term. High levels of anxiety during the common NST procedure can negatively affect the test result and increase the rate of nonreactive NST, potentially leading to misinterpretation. Therefore, midwifery/nursing interventions to make the pregnant woman comfortable during the procedure and to reduce anxiety and stress are important.

Detailed description

Non-stress testing (NST) is used to assess fetal wellbeing and to detect and intervene early in fetuses at risk. NST is an easy to administer, noninvasive, prenatal assessment method used from 32 weeks of gestation to term. High levels of anxiety during the common NST procedure can negatively affect the test result and increase the rate of non-reactive NST, potentially leading to misinterpretation. Therefore, midwifery/nursing interventions to make the pregnant woman comfortable during the procedure and to reduce anxiety and stress are important. Stress ball is one of the nonpharmacological methods in the management of pain, stress and anxiety based on the logic of drawing the attention of the person to a different side and is an application for the sense of touch. In the obstetric field, there have been studies evaluating the effects of stress ball application on labor and vascular pain of pregnant women, but there is no study evaluating anxiety, comfort and NST parameters during NST.

Interventions

OTHERStress Ball

During the NST procedure (average 20-30 minutes), the pregnant woman will lie on her left side. A stress ball will be placed in the active hand of the pregnant woman. The pregnant woman will be instructed to squeeze the stress ball for 2-3 seconds and then relax the hand and arm. This process will be repeated throughout the NST.

Sponsors

Gaziantep Islam Science and Technology University
Lead SponsorOTHER

Study design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
PREVENTION
Masking
NONE

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
FEMALE
Age
18 Years to 35 Years
Healthy volunteers
Yes

Inclusion criteria

* To be between the ages of 18-35, * Being literate, having a singleton pregnancy, * She has had NST at least once before, * 32 weeks or more gestation, * Being multiparous, * Having eaten at least two hours before the NST procedure, * Volunteering to participate in the research.

Exclusion criteria

* Having a high-risk pregnancy, * Having a psychiatric disorder, * Being pregnant with an urgent NST result, * Smoking or drinking alcohol at least two hours before the NST procedure, * Having any problem that prevents communication (such as hearing, speaking, ability to understand), having a visual, hearing, speech, physical or mental disability.

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
State Anxiety Scale1 minute before NST application and 1 minute after NST aplicationThe scale was created by Spielberger. Its Turkish validity and reliability was performed by Öner and Le Compte. It is a 4-point Likert-type scale consisting of 20 questions measuring the anxiety levels of individuals. The scale includes items that are expressed positively and negatively. In the scoring phase of the scale, the total weighted score obtained for the direct statements is subtracted from the total weighted score of the reversed statements. A predetermined and unchanging value is added to this number. This unchanging value is 50 for the State Anxiety Scale. The last value obtained gives the anxiety score of the person. The scores that can be obtained from the scale vary between 20 and 80, and high scores indicate a high level of anxiety. The Cronbach alpha value of the original scale is between 0.94-0.96 and has a high internal consistency.

Secondary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Visual Analog Scale for Comfort1 minute before NST application and 1 minute after NST aplicationThe Visual Analog Scale (VAS) is a reliable, valid and sensitive self-report measure for the examination of subjective patient experiences including pain, nausea, fatigue and dyspnea.The VAS scale consists of 0-10 points. Pregnant women will be asked to mark a number according to the comfort they feel. A score of '0' indicates feeling uncomfortable, while a score of '10' indicates the highest level of comfort.

Countries

Turkey (Türkiye)

Contacts

PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATORZehra ÇERÇER, PhD

Gaziantep Islam Science Technology University

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Jul 2, 2026