The Effect of Spouse Participation Childbirth Preparation Program on Birth Outcomes

The Effect of a Self-Efficacy Theory-Based Spouse Participation Childbirth Preparation Program on Fear of Childbirth, Self-Efficacy, Mode of Delivery and Birth Outcomes: A Randomized Controlled Trial

The research is designed as a pre-test, post-test, parallel-group, randomized controlled study to examine the effect of a spouse-participated childbirth preparation program based on self-efficacy theory on fear of childbirth, self-efficacy, mode of delivery and outcomes. Participants will be allocated to experimental and control groups through block randomization. Participants in the experimental group will be enrolled in a two-session spouse-participated childbirth preparation program based on self-efficacy theory once a week, in addition to receiving routine care at the hospital. Participants in the control group will not receive any intervention, only routine care provided at the hospital.

Nulliparous pregnant women and their spouses who apply to the obstetrics and gynecology clinic and outpatient clinic of the hospital where the research will be conducted will be assessed for eligibility according to the inclusion criteria, and informed consent will be obtained. Subsequently, prospective fathers will be given a Personal Information Form and the Fathers' Fear of Childbirth Scale; prospective mothers will be given a Personal Information Form, the Wijma Delivery Expectancy/Experience Questionnaire Version A, the Childbirth Self-Efficacy Inventory Short Form, and the Perception of Spousal Support in Pregnancy Scale as pre-tests. Couples will be allocated to the experimental or control group according to a block randomization list. Couples assigned to the experimental group will be included in a three-week program, attending a self-efficacy theory-based childbirth preparation program in groups of 3-4 couples, scheduled according to their availability. At the end of the sessions, the training guide reflecting the content of the training will be given to the couples and they will be asked to read it at home and do their homework by using the relevant parts of the guide. At the same time, these couples will continue routine pregnancy controls in the hospital. Routine pregnancy check-ups at the hospital include standard antenatal follow-ups, and pregnant women and their partners receive information about the pregnancy and labour process only during the medical examination. It is planned to complete the trainings once a week, twice in total and for two weeks. After the trainings are completed, it is planned to send at least three reminders by text message until the calculated delivery date. Brochures and text message contents related to the training content will be used in the reminder. After completing the training, the Fathers' Fear of Childbirth Scale, the Childbirth Self-Efficacy Inventory Short Form, and the Perception of Spousal Support in Pregnancy Scale will be administered again. Following childbirth, the Wijma Delivery Expectancy/Experience Questionnaire Version B will be completed by the mothers, and the birth process information form will be filled out by the researcher. Couples in the control group will undergo the same pre-test and post-test assessments as the experimental group. However, no additional intervention will be provided to these couples, and they will receive the same routine care as the experimental group.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Couples must be 18 years of age or older,
• Couples should be able to read and write Turkish,
• The pregnant woman has never given birth before,
• The pregnant woman is at 28-30 weeks of gestation,
• The pregnancy is viable and singular,
• The pregnant woman does not have an established indication for caesarean section,
• Routine controls during pregnancy are carried out in the hospital where the study is conducted.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Pregnancy achieved by assisted reproductive techniques,
• Participating in a birth preparation programme other than the routine pregnancy check-ups at the hospital,
• Failure to attend any of the sessions in the childbirth preparation programme,
• Failure to communicate in the postnatal period (no response to at least 3 telephone calls)
• Development of any indication for caesarean section during pregnancy,
• The birth takes place in a health institution different from the hospital where the research will be conducted.