Fear of Childbirth, Pregnancy, Rumination
Conditions
Keywords
Affirmations, Podcast, Prenatal Education, Cognitive Rumination, Acceptance-based Intervention
Brief summary
This study examined the effect of affirmation-based podcast training on fear of childbirth and ruminative thoughts among pregnant women. A randomized controlled design was used, and the study sample consisted of 120 pregnant women (60 in the intervention group and 60 in the control group) who applied to a Family Health Center in Istanbul between February and April 2025. Data were collected through face-to-face interviews using the Pregnant Woman Information Form, the Visual Analog Score, the Fear of Childbirth Scale, and the Positive-Negative Rumination Score. The intervention group listened to affirmation-based podcast recordings for 21 days, while no intervention was applied to the control group. The primary objective was to evaluate the effect of podcast training on fear of childbirth and ruminative thoughts.
Interventions
BEHAVIORALAffirmation-based podcast training
Participants listened to the affirmation-based podcast training for 10 minutes each day for 21 days. The podcast recordings were uploaded to the Spotify interface. In addition, they were converted into an HTML link, and a QR code was generated. The podcast was shared with participants via the QR code and the Spotify link. A daily reminder message was sent to encourage listening.
Sponsors
Istinye University
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
SUPPORTIVE_CARE
Masking
NONE
Masking description
Randomization was concealed using a sealed-envelope method until the moment of group assignment. Although allocation was concealed during randomization, the study is open-label as participants are aware of their intervention group assignment following the opening of the envelope.
Intervention model description
It is a randomized controlled, parallel-design intervention study. Affirmation-based podcast training was applied to the intervention group, while no intervention was applied to the control group.
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
FEMALE
Age
18 Years to 45 Years
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
Pregnant women Aged 18-45 years Turkish citizens Having a fear of childbirth score ≥5 on the Visual Analog Scale (VAS) Having access to a device to listen to the podcast and download audio files Willing to participate in the study
Exclusion criteria
History of abortion or miscarriage Currently undergoing or previously underwent in vitro fertilization (İVF) treatment Presence of chronic diseases (e.g., cardiovascular diseases, diabetes mellitus, hypertension) Presence of psychiatric disorders (e.g., major depression, psychosis) İnability to complete the intervention or follow-up assessments
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Childbirth Fear Scale | Baseline and 21 days post-intervention. | The total ranges from 20 to 100. Higher scores indicate higher levels of fear of childbirth. |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Positive and Negative Rumination Scale | Baseline and 21 days post-intervention. | The total ranges from 23 to 115. Higher scores indicate higher levels of rumination. |
Countries
Turkey (Türkiye)
Contacts
STUDY_DIRECTORREFİKA GENÇ KOYUCU, DOÇ. DR.
Istinye University, Republic of Turkey
Outcome results
None listed