Therapeutic Touch on Labour Pain, Anxiety and Childbirth Attitude (touch)

The Effect of Therapeutic Touch on Labour Pain, Anxiety and Childbirth Attitude

Introduction: Touching ensures physical, emotional and spiritual relaxation, confidence, peace, calmness and well-being, and increases self-esteem. The aim of this study is to determine the effect of therapeutic touch on labour pain, anxiety and childbirth attitude.

Methods: The sample of this randomized controlled experimental research consisted of 80 (intervention group: 40; control group: 40) women. Data were collected using a Personal Information Form, Visual Analogue Scale, State Anxiety Inventory and Childbirth Attitudes Questionnaire.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Vaginal Delivery; First Pregnancy
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: Therapeutic touch

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 80
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Turkey (Türkiye)
  • Turkey
    • Sivas, Turkey, Turkey (Türkiye), 58140
      • Sukran Ertekin Pinar

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 19 years to 41 years (Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Having a first pregnancy
• Not having a high-risk pregnancy
• Having no health problems with the baby or herself
• Having a single foetus
• Being about to have a vaginal delivery
• Not receiving infertility treatment
• Not having a chronic physical or psychiatric diagnosis
• Agreeing to participate in the research

Exclusion criterion

-Multiparity

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Prevention
• Allocation: N/A
• Interventional Model: Single Group Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

1

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Control Group; Group name	Other: Therapeutic touch; Therapeutic touch was applied twice to the women in the intervention group in addition to routine practices. The first application was performed in the active phase of the first stage of labour, and the second was done in the second stage of labour.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
State Anxiety Inventory	The inventory consists of four-degree evaluations ranging from "Not at all" to "Completely" in the Likert type. There are 20 items in the inventory, and the individual is required to define how he/she feels at a certain moment and under certain conditions, and to respond by taking into account his/her feelings about the situation he/she is in. High scores indicate high anxiety levels, and low scores indicate low anxiety levels.	Baseline
Visual Analogue Scale	It is used to assess pain intensity. The scale is graded from 0 to 10 cm in length, where 0 represents no pain and 10 represents the most severe pain. It is applied by having the individual mark a point corresponding to the intensity of the pain they feel. The distance between the marked point and the lowest end of the line is measured in centimeters, and the resulting numerical value indicates the patient's pain intensity.	Baseline
Childbirth Attitudes Questionnaire	This scale four-point Likert-type questionnaire consists of 16 items and high scores indicate greater anxiety. Scale scores are calculated by taking the average of the 16 items. The items on the scale are scored as follows: "1 = No anxiety ", "2 = Low anxiety ", "3 = Moderate anxiety " and "4 = High anxiety ". Each item on the scale is scored between 1 and 4.	Baseline

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Visual Analogue Scale	It is used to assess pain intensity. The scale is graded from 0 to 10 cm in length, where 0 represents no pain and 10 represents the most severe pain. It is applied by having the individual mark a point corresponding to the intensity of the pain they feel. The distance between the marked point and the lowest end of the line is measured in centimeters, and the resulting numerical value indicates the patient's pain intensity.	In the final stage of labor
State Anxiety Inventory	The inventory consists of four-degree evaluations ranging from "Not at all" to "Completely" in the Likert type. There are 20 items in the inventory, and the individual is required to define how he/she feels at a certain moment and under certain conditions, and to respond by taking into account his/her feelings about the situation he/she is in. High scores indicate high anxiety levels, and low scores indicate low anxiety levels.	In the final stage of labor
Childbirth Attitudes Questionnaire	This scale four-point Likert-type questionnaire consists of 16 items and high scores indicate greater anxiety. Scale scores are calculated by taking the average of the 16 items. The items on the scale are scored as follows: "1 = No anxiety ", "2 = Low anxiety ", "3 = Moderate anxiety " and "4 = High anxiety ". Each item on the scale is scored between 1 and 4.	In the final stage of labor

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Cumhuriyet University

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): July 1, 2019
• Primary Completion (Actual): December 30, 2019
• Study Completion (Actual): December 30, 2019

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: August 25, 2020
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: September 2, 2020
• First Posted (Actual): September 10, 2020

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): February 20, 2026
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: February 18, 2026
• Last Verified: September 1, 2020

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: anxiety; labour pain; therapeutic touch; childbirth attitude
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Pain; Neurologic Manifestations; Mental Disorders; Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms; Signs and Symptoms; Anxiety Disorders; Labor Pain; Therapeutics; Mind-Body Therapies; Complementary Therapies; Spiritual Therapies; Therapeutic Touch
• Other Study ID Numbers: TR SIVAS01

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No