The Effect of Expressive Writing on Fear of Childbirth among Nulliparous Pregnant Women: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

The present study determined the effect of expressive writing on the fear of childbirth among۱۳ nulliparous pregnant women.Methods: This randomized controlled trial was performed on ۲۰۰ pregnant women۱۴ referred to selected comprehensive health centers in Isfahan for prenatal care from ۱th May to ۳۰th September۱۵ ۲۰۲۱. Out of them, ۹۰ met the inclusion criteria including having a gestational age of ۳۶ weeks (۲۵۲ days) and۱۶ above and having moderate or severe fear of childbirth and entered the study and were allocated to the control۱۷ and experimental groups randomly using block randomization with a block size of ۴. The subjects in۱۸ experimental group did expressive writing for ۲۰ minutes every day for ۷ days and the control group did some۱۹ neutral writing in the same way. Before and after intervention, the fear of childbirth was measured and۲۰ compared by Wijma Delivery Expectancy/Experience Questionnaire. For statistical analysis, Paired t-test,۲۱ independent t-test, and chi-square test were used applying SPSS v۲۱. Significance level was less than۲۲ ۰.۰۵.Results: The mean score of fear in the control and experimental groups was not statistically significant۲۳ different before the intervention, but after the intervention, it was significantly lower in the experimental group۲۴ (p = ۰.۰۴). The mean score of fear decreased significantly after the intervention only in the experimental group۲۵ (p < ۰.۰۰۱). The difference between the mean score of fear before and after intervention in the experimental۲۶ group was significantly higher than the control (p = ۰.۰۲).Conclusions: Expressive writing is effective on the۲۷ fear of childbirth in nulliparous pregnant women and can be used as an effective, low-cost, simple, and۲۸ accessible method for them.

Keywords:

Expressive writing , Fear , Childbirth , Nulliparous , Iran