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. 2023 Apr 14:57:18.
doi: 10.11606/s1518-8787.2023057004272. eCollection 2023.

Effect of antenatal class attendance on fear of childbirth and antenatal stress

Selda Yörük  1 , Ayla Acikgoz  2
Affiliations

Effect of antenatal class attendance on fear of childbirth and antenatal stress

Selda Yörük et al. Rev Saude Publica. .

Abstract

Objective: To assess the effect of attending antenatal classes on fear of childbirth and antenatal stress in nulliparous pregnant women.

Methods: A total of 133 nulliparous pregnant women participated in the study, which had a quasi-experimental design. Data were collected by a descriptive data form, the Wijma Delivery Expectancy/Experience Questionnaire, and the Antenatal Perceived Stress Inventory (APSI).

Results: A significant correlation was found between antenatal class attendance and having a high schooling level and an intended pregnancy (p < 0.05). The mean fear of childbirth score of pregnant women was 85.50 ± 19.41 before the training and 76.32 ± 20.52 after the training, and the difference between these scores was significant (p < 0.01). Fear of childbirth score were not significantly different between the intervention group and the control group. The mean APSI score of pregnant women in the intervention group was 22.32 ± 6.12 before the training and 21.79 ± 5.97 after the training. However, this difference was not statistically significant (p = 0.70).

Conclusion: The fear of childbirth score decreased significantly in the intervention group after the training.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of Interest: The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

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Figure. Flowchart of the study.
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