The Effect of Spiritual Self-care Intervention with a Blended Learning Approach on Anxiety in Women with Preterm Labor: A Randomized Controlled Trial.
Raziyeh Maasoumi, Farzaneh Dastaran, Fatemeh Faghihiniya and 2 others
PMID 37114099WHAT IT FOUND
Women with preterm labor who received five sessions of spiritual self-care education, blending face-to-face and virtual learning, reported significantly lower pregnancy-related anxiety immediately after the intervention and four weeks later compared to those receiving routine care.
Key findings
01The primary outcome, pregnancy-related anxiety, was significantly lower in the intervention group than in the control group immediately after the intervention (P<0.001) and four weeks post-intervention (P<0.001).
02The intervention consisted of two face-to-face classes and three virtual sessions delivered via Telegram, focusing on spiritual beliefs such as trust in God, patience, and finding meaning in hardship.
03The study was conducted in Iran with a sample of primigravidas aged over 18 who possessed smartphones, limiting generalizability to other populations or those without digital access.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The study was conducted only on women with preterm labor in Iran, so results may not generalize to other pregnant populations or cultural contexts. Participants could not be blinded to the intervention, which may have introduced bias in self-reported anxiety scores. Some participants delivered before the four-week follow-up, so their final assessment was done at delivery rather than at the planned time point. The sample size was relatively small (70 women).
Declared interests
The study was financially supported by the Nursing and Midwifery Care Research Center of Tehran University of Medical Sciences. The authors declared no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume this intervention will work for all pregnant women or those without a religious background. The study specifically targeted primigravidas in Iran with strong religious ties, and the content was based on Islamic spiritual teachings.