Haptonomy, Maternal-Fetal Attachment, Perceived Partner Support
Conditions
Keywords
Haptonomy, Prenatal Haptonomy, Prenatal Attachment, Maternal-Fetal Attachment, Partner Support; Pregnancy, Randomized Controlled Trial, Psychosocial Intervention, Partner Support, Pregnancy
Brief summary
This study is a three-arm randomized controlled trial to be conducted among pregnant women attending the antenatal outpatient clinic of Tokat Gaziosmanpaşa University Hospital who meet the inclusion criteria. Data will be collected between April 1, 2026, and April 30, 2027. Eligible participants will be informed about the study objectives, procedures, potential benefits and risks, and voluntary participation principles. Written informed consent will be obtained prior to enrollment. Participant confidentiality will be ensured in accordance with data protection regulations, and unique identification codes will be assigned. At baseline (T0), participants will complete the Personal Information Form, Prenatal Attachment Inventory (PAI), and Spousal Support Scale (SSS). Following baseline assessment, participants will be randomly allocated into one of three groups: Partner-supported haptonomy group Mother-supported haptonomy group Midwife-supported haptonomy group The haptonomy-based intervention will be delivered once weekly for three consecutive weeks in a hospital-based setting. Each session will last approximately 30 minutes and will follow a standardized protocol including structured affective touch, body awareness facilitation, emotional observation, and structured session closure. All sessions will be conducted by a research assistant who completed the Prenatal Haptonomy Instructor Training (January 29-31, 2026). The principal investigator will supervise and monitor the scientific integrity of the study. Outcome assessments will be conducted at three time points: T0 (Baseline): Prior to intervention T1 (Post-session 1): 24-48 hours after the first haptonomy session T2 (Post-intervention): 24-48 hours after the third haptonomy session The Prenatal Attachment Inventory and Spousal Support Scale will be re-administered at T1 and T2. Data completeness will be checked after each assessment.
Detailed description
This study is a three-arm randomized controlled trial to be conducted among pregnant women attending the antenatal outpatient clinic of Tokat Gaziosmanpaşa University Hospital who meet the inclusion criteria. Data will be collected between April 1, 2026, and April 30, 2027. Participants will receive verbal and written information about the study, written informed consent will be obtained, and all data will be stored using coded identifiers in accordance with confidentiality principles. At baseline (T0), participants will complete the Personal Information Form, Prenatal Attachment Inventory, and Spousal Support Scale. Participants will then be randomly assigned to one of three groups: partner-supported haptonomy, mother-supported haptonomy, or midwife-supported haptonomy. The haptonomy-based intervention will be delivered over three consecutive weeks, once per week, following a standardized protocol, with each session lasting approximately 30 minutes and conducted in a hospital setting. Interventions will be carried out by a research assistant trained in prenatal haptonomy and scientifically supervised by the principal investigator. Haptonomy sessions will include structured affective touch, body awareness facilitation, emotional observation, and session closure, with no invasive procedures involved. Outcome assessments will be conducted at three time points: prior to the intervention (T0), 24-48 hours after the first session (T1), and 24-48 hours after the third session (T2). The Prenatal Attachment Inventory and Spousal Support Scale will be re-administered at T1 and T2. Collected data will be analyzed using statistical methods to evaluate the effects of haptonomy-based support approaches on prenatal attachment and perceived partner support.
Interventions
BEHAVIORALPrenatal Haptonomy-Based Support
A structured haptonomy-based prenatal support intervention delivered once weekly for three consecutive weeks. Each session lasts approximately 30 minutes and is conducted with the participation of the pregnant woman's partner. The protocol includes affective touch facilitated by the partner, body awareness facilitation, emotional observation, and structured session closure. The intervention is conducted in a hospital setting.
BEHAVIORALMother-Supported Haptonomy Group
A structured haptonomy-based prenatal support intervention delivered once weekly for three consecutive weeks. Each session lasts approximately 30 minutes and is conducted with the participation of the pregnant woman's mother. The protocol includes affective touch facilitated by the mother, body awareness facilitation, emotional observation, and structured session closure. The intervention is conducted in a hospital setting.
BEHAVIORALMidwife-Supported Haptonomy Group
A structured haptonomy-based prenatal support intervention delivered once weekly for three consecutive weeks. Each session lasts approximately 30 minutes and is conducted by a trained midwife. The protocol includes affective touch provided by the midwife, body awareness facilitation, emotional observation, and structured session closure. The intervention is conducted in a hospital setting.
Sponsors
Hilal Özbek
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
SINGLE_GROUP
Primary purpose
SUPPORTIVE_CARE
Masking
SINGLE (Subject)
Intervention model description
Participants will be randomly assigned to one of three parallel groups (partner-supported haptonomy, mother-supported haptonomy, or midwife-supported haptonomy) and followed for three weeks.
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
FEMALE
Age
18 Years to 45 Years
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
* Pregnant women aged 18-45 years * Attending antenatal follow-up at Tokat Gaziosmanpaşa University Hospital * Gestational age between 20 and 32 weeks * Ability to communicate in Turkish * Willingness to participate and provide written informed consent
Exclusion criteria
* High-risk pregnancy (e.g., preeclampsia, placenta previa, gestational diabetes requiring insulin) * Diagnosed psychiatric disorder * Multiple pregnancy * Known fetal anomaly * Participation in another interventional study
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Prenatal Attachment | Baseline (T0), 24-48 hours after the first haptonomy session (T1), and 24-48 hours after the third haptonomy session (T2) | Change from baseline in prenatal attachment as measured by the Prenatal Attachment Inventory (PAI). The Prenatal Attachment Inventory (PAI), developed by Mary Muller (1993), consists of 21 items rated on a 4-point Likert scale (1 = Almost Never, 4 = Almost Always). Total scores range from 21 to 84. Higher scores indicate stronger prenatal attachment. There are no reverse-scored items. The scale is unidimensional and evaluated using total score. |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Perceived Partner Support | Baseline (T0), 24-48 hours after the first haptonomy session (T1), and 24-48 hours after the third haptonomy session (T2) | Change from baseline in perceived partner support as measured by the Spouse Support Scale (SSS). The Spouse Support Scale (SSS), developed by Yıldırım (2005), consists of 13 items rated on a 5-point Likert scale (1 = Not appropriate at all, 5 = Completely appropriate). Total scores range from 13 to 65. Higher total scores indicate higher perceived partner support. There are no reverse-scored items. The scale is evaluated using the total score. |
Contacts
CONTACTHilal Ozbek, Asist. Prof. Dr.
CONTACTSimay Bartınlı, Master's Student
PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATORHilal Ozbek
Tokat Gaziosmanpasa University
Outcome results
None listed