The Effects of Emotional Freedom Techniques Implemented During Early Pregnancy on Nausea-Vomiting Severity and Anxiety: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Objective: This randomized controlled trial investigated the effect of emotional freedom techniques (EFT) on the severity of nausea-vomiting and anxiety in early pregnancy. Design: The sample consisted of 131 pregnant women in the experimental and control groups between 6 and 16 weeks of pregnancy attending an antenatal clinic. Participants were randomly assigned to receive training on EFT or a control group. Data were collected using a personal information form, subjective experiences, the Pregnancy-Related Anxiety Questionnaire, and the Pregnancy-Unique Quantification of Emesis. Both groups attended two visits, a week apart. The participants in the EFT group received a session of EFT at each visit and completed two EFT sessions as home assignments, 2 and 4 days after the first visit. The participants in the control group attended two visits a week apart and completed assessments but did not receive EFT. Results: There were 55 women in each group who completed the study, and the groups were similar in terms of baseline measures, including socioeconomic status, smoking status, previous pregnancy, severity of nausea-vomiting, and total pregnancy-related anxiety. EFT significantly reduced anxiety levels from the baseline to the second session (fear of delivery, worries about bearing a handicapped child, concern about one's own appearance) and total pregnancy-related anxiety (total pretest 29.85 ± 9.87, post-test 20.67 ± 8.38; p < 0.001), while the control group showed no reduction in pregnancy-related anxiety (total pretest 26.1 ± 7.79, post-test 25.98 ± 8.49; p = 0.933). Although nausea-vomiting was reduced in both groups over the two-session period, at the end of treatment, the EFT group had significantly lower nausea intensity (EFT group 4.4 ± 1.81, control group 5.36 ± 2.48; p = 0.02). Conclusions: EFT is a nonpharmacologic intervention that can be effective in reducing nausea, vomiting, and anxiety in early pregnancy. Clinical Trials Registration Number: NCT05337852.

Integration of technology to clinical teaching:The impact of mobile and web-based software automation designed for midwifery students on motivation, time management and anxiety levels.

AIM: This study was performed to assess the impact of a mobile and web-based software system named Midwifery Clinical Automation (EBEKO) and designed by researchers to be used in clinical practices on motivation, time management and anxiety level. METHOD: The sample of this randomized controlled trial consisted of 60 midwifery students who were randomly and equally assigned to the experimental and control groups. Data were collected between February and May 2019 using "Student Introduction Form", "Motivation Resources and Problems Scale (MRPS)", "Time Management Inventory (TMI)" and "Spielberger's State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI I-II). EBEKO application was designed as a software system ensuring mutual interaction between students and instructors. Students in the experimental group and all instructors of the department of midwifery were trained in terms of using the system. Students were asked to upload the data regarding midwifery care, monitoring and trainings utilized within the clinical practices to the EBEKO. Data uploaded to the system were transferred to the screen designed for the instructors who were in charge. Instructors assessed these forms (for pregnant women/puerperal women/newborns etc.), demanded revisions, approved or returned. Approved forms corresponded to the number of forms needed by the students in the study to graduate. All students in the experimental group used EBEKO system throughout their education period (14 weeks). No interventions were made on the students in the control group. Data were analyzed through the descriptive statistics (frequency, percentage, mean, standard deviation, min-max values), and t-test in the dependent and independent groups. RESULTS: Students in the experimental and control groups were found to have similar motivation, time management and anxiety level prior to the use of EBEKO. However, after the use of the application, the mean post-test motivation and time management scores of the students in the experimental group significantly increased compared to the control group (p<0.001, p<0.05), but no significant difference regarding the anxiety levels was present between the groups (p>0.05). CONCLUSION: EBEKO was found to positively affect the motivation and time management of midwifery students.

Determining the Cultural Care Needs of Infertile Couples in Turkey: A Qualitative Study Guided by the Cultural Competence Model.

The cultural competence model is an ethnographic model created to improve the cultural understanding of people's status in the context of health, health promotion and illness. This study aimed to use the Purnell Model for Cultural Competence for determining the cultural care needs of couples undergoing infertility treatment. This study with a qualitative design was conducted at a private in vitro fertilization center in eastern Turkey. The sample of the study consisted of 10 infertile couples with unexplained infertility problems (n = 20). The 12 cultural domains were used as a basis in determining the cultural care needs of the infertile couples, and these domains formed the themes. Data were collected using the method of interpretative phenomenological analysis. The emotions defined in the "spirituality" theme were "seeing it as destiny or seeing it as a test to be passed in terms of religion" and "visiting holy tombs, applying to faith healers and making vows." The first three emotions that came to the fore in the "pregnancy and childbearing" theme were "feelings of deficiency/illness/stigmatization," "deterioration in body image" and "unsatisfactory inability to feel love for own child." In the "healthcare practitioners" theme, it was determined that compliance with treatment was partially sufficient, but the religious-cultural influence was high.

Turkish validity and reliability study for the person-centered maternity care scale.

AIM: The objective was to adapt the person-centered maternity care scale (PCMCS) developed by Afulani et al. in 2017 to Turkish and to perform the validity and reliability study of this scale. METHODS: The population of this methodological study consisted of 280 mothers who were referred to the postpartum service of a public hospital in eastern Turkey. Linguistic validity, context validity, and pilot practice studies regarding the PCMCS that could be used in the first nine postpartum weeks were performed. Explanatory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis were performed to assess the construct validity of the form. Reliability of PCMCS was tested through the Cronbach's α internal consistency coefficient, total item correlation, and test-retest analysis. RESULTS: The Turkish version of the PCMCS a 21-item scale with three sub-dimensions was obtained. These three sub-dimensions found as a result of explanatory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis supported the scale structure. Cronbach's α reliability coefficient scale was adequate for total and sub-dimensions. CONCLUSION: Turkish version of PCMCS was found to be a valid and reliable instrument to be used for assessing the person-centered maternity care for women in the postpartum period.

Effects of demographic and obstetric variables with body image on sexual dysfunction in pregnancy: A cross-sectional and comparative study.

AIM: This study was conducted to determine the effects of demographic and obstetric variables with body image on sexual dysfunction in pregnant women. BACKGROUND: Sexual dysfunction is frequent in pregnant women. To what extent body image plays a role is incompletely understood. METHODS: In the research, a cross-sectional and comparative study was conducted. A personal information form, body image scale, and female sexual function index were applied to 472 pregnant women. Descriptive statistics, the Student t-test, the χ2 test, and logistic regression analysis were employed for evaluating the data. RESULTS: Sexual dysfunction was found in 54.7%. The frequency of sexual dysfunction in the first trimester was lower. In addition, factors like the place of residence of the pregnant women and number of pregnancies were found to be related to sexual dysfunction in pregnant women. Each unit decrease in body image score resulted in women being 0.98 times more likely to experience sexual dysfunction. CONCLUSION: It was determined that approximately one in two pregnant women experienced sexual dysfunction, and body image, place of residence, trimester of the pregnancy, and number of pregnancies were important factors affecting sexual function.

The effects of adverse childhood experiences on pregnancy-related anxiety and acceptance of motherhood role.

BACKGROUND: Adverse childhood experiences are a factor that may cause physical illness and deterioration of lifelong well-being in addition to many mental and psychiatric problems in the future. It is important to question and treat them. OBJECTIVE: This study examined the effects of adverse childhood experiences on pregnancy-related anxiety and acceptance of motherhood role. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 536 pregnant women. The data were collected using the "Personal Information Form", the "Adverse Childhood Experience Questionnaire (ACEQ)", the "Acceptance of Motherhood Role (AoMR)" subscale of the "Prenatal Self Evaluation Questionnaire (PSEQ)" and the "Pregnancy-Related Anxiety Questionnaire-Revised 2 (PRAQ-R2)". RESULTS: It was found that those with high levels of negative childhood experience had higher levels of anxiety in pregnancy and lower acceptance of maternal role than the other groups (p<0.05). Additionally, a one-unit change in the AoMR score led to a 0.23-unit decrease in the ACEQ score, whereas a one-unit change in the PRAQ-R2 score led to a 0.57-unit increase in the ACEQ score (p<0.001). CONCLUSION: Adverse childhood events increase pregnancy-related anxiety and negatively affect acceptance of motherhood role.