The effect of participation in pregnancy school trainings on perinatal comfort level

INTRODUCTION: This research aimed to investigate the impact of pregnancy school training on the perinatal comfort levels experienced by women.
METHODS: The research employed a case-control, quasi-experimental, descriptive, analytical, and relationship-seeking design. Conducted between June and December 2022, the study involved 64 pregnant women randomly selected from those who attended the hospital’s registered pregnancy school training for 16 uninterrupted hours. These participants, who voluntarily joined the study, comprised the case group, contributing to a total sample size of 128 pregnant women. Data collection utilized a personal information form, developed by the researchers through a comprehensive literature review, and the Prenatal Comfort Scale (PCS). Statistical analysis was carried out using the Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) 20.0 package program.
RESULTS: The educational status of the pregnant women and their spouses in the study group was higher than that in the control group (χ2: 14.040, p=0.015, χ2: 11.701, p=0.013), and there was no statistically significant difference between the two groups in terms of other descriptive characteristics. The analysis of the data showed that the women who attended pregnancy school trainings exhibited statistically higher rates of opting for planned/wanted pregnancies and normal births compared to the control group (χ2: 10.847, p=0.001; χ2: 3 4.696, p=0.000). Furthermore, more than half of the attendees at the pregnancy school were primiparous, leading to a statistically significant difference between the two groups (χ2: 8.708, p=0.020). In terms of PCS scores, the case group scored an average of 68.82±8.13, while the control group scored 61.07±6.88, demonstrating a statistically significant difference (z=22.689, p=0.000).
DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: Participation in pregnancy schools demonstrated a positive impact on the overall comfort levels of the women in their third trimester of pregnancy.