Laughter yoga: Sessions will consist of warm-up and breathing exercises, guided intentional laughter exercises, diaphragmatic breathing and relaxation, followed by a short mindfulness and closing phase.
Study summary
Primiparous women constitute a special risk group who may experience higher levels of fear of childbirth and lower birth self-efficacy during pregnancy due to their lack of prior childbirth experience. Fear of childbirth is associated with increased anxiety, negative birth experiences, and unnecessary medical interventions, while birth self-efficacy is an important determinant of adaptation to the birth process and positive birth outcomes. In recent years, non-pharmacological and mind-body-based interventions have become increasingly important in the management of these psychological problems. Laughter yoga is a complementary method that combines conscious laughter exercises with breathing techniques to reduce stress and anxiety. This randomized controlled trial aims to evaluate the effect of laughter yoga on fear of childbirth and self-efficacy during childbirth in primiparous pregnant women. The study aims to provide scientific evidence for the use of laughter yoga as an effective, safe, and inexpensive psychosocial intervention that can be applied in prenatal care.
Eligibility
Sex
ALL
Min age
18 Years
Max age
40 Years
Healthy volunteers
Accepted
Inclusion Criteria:
* Being 18 years of age or older,
* never having given birth before
* be a primiparous pregnant woman experiencing her first birth,
* be pregnant with a single baby,
* be approximately 28-34 weeks pregnant at the start of the intervention,
* be planning a vaginal birth,
* have the ability to read and speak Turkish,
* volunteer to participate in the study
Exclusion Criteria:
* A diagnosis of high-risk pregnancy or the presence of serious obstetric complications that prevent participation in exercise (e.g., placenta previa, uncontrolled gestational hypertension or preeclampsia, bed rest recommended due to threatened preterm labor, cervical insufficiency),
* multiple pregnancy,
* history of recurrent pregnancy loss (≥2 miscarriages) or pregnancy achieved through assisted reproductive techniques (e.g., IVF),
* diagnosis of a known psychiatric disorder (major depression, anxiety disorder, psychosis, etc.),
* history of alcohol or substance use during pregnancy,
* Severe orthopedic problems or chronic respiratory system diseases that prevent participation in light exercise or laughter exercises,
* Participation in other structured prenatal interventions (e.g., prenatal yoga, hypno-birth, intensive childbirth education programs) aimed at reducing fear or anxiety about childbirth during the study period.
Primary outcome measure(s)
Wijma Childbirth Expectation/Experience Questionnaire - Version A (W-DEQ/ Version A) — Baseline (Day 0) and Week 4 It was developed by Klaas and Barbro Wijma to measure women's fear of childbirth. The scale consists of 33 items. Responses on the scale are numbered from 0 to 5 and are on a six-point Likert scale. 0 means "completely," and 5 means "not at all." The minimum score on the scale is 0, while the maximum score is 165. As the score increases, so does the fear of childbirth experienced by women. While the first version of the scale did not specify a score range, subsequent studies determined a scoring range. This range can be used when interpreting scale scores. The total item score is interpreted as 0-60 for low fear of childbirth, 61-84 for moderate fear of childbirth, and 85 and above for high fear of childbirth.
This page summarises publicly available registry data for informational purposes — not medical advice. Eligibility is determined by each study team; patients should discuss participation with their clinician.
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