Compararing the Impact of Face-to-Face and Online Peer Education on Pregnant Women’s Fear of Childbirth: A Randomized Clinical Trial

Background & aim: Fear of childbirth (FOC) is a prevalent issue that affects the outcome of pregnancy. Effective education, is one of the most important factors that can help women to overcom their fear. This study aimed to compare two types of educational approaches including face-to-face and online peer education on pregnant women’s fear of childbirth.Methods: This three-armed clinical trial was carried out on ۶۰ low-risk primigravida pregnant women with a gestational age of ۲۴-۳۲ weeks referring to community health centers in Meshgin Shahr, Ardabil Province, Iran. The participants were selected through convenience sampling and then randomly assigned to face-to-face and online peer education as well as control groups using block randomization . Five ۹۰-minute training sessions was held for the participants in the intervention groups for five weeks. Wijma Delivery Expectancy/Experience Questionnaire (W-DEQ) was administered to the participants in the three groups to measure FOC before and one month after the intervention. Data were analyzed using analysis of variance and paired t-test  with SPSS software (version ۱۶). Results: There was a significant difference in FOC scores among the three groups (P = ۰.۰۰۱) after one month of intervention. A significant difference was also found between the face-to-face and online peer education groups (P = ۰.۰۰۰). Conclusion: The findings confirmed that both face-to-face and online peer education are effective in reducing the FOC and can be used in antenatal care of pregnant women.

کلیدواژه ها:

Peer Education ، Face-to-face education ، online education ، Fear of childbirth ، pregnancy