The Effect of Podcast Training on Birth Fear in Couples

April 14, 2026 updated by: Betul Uncu, Istanbul University - Cerrahpasa

The Effect of Podcast Training on Birth Fear in Couples: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Birth fear refers to intense feelings of anxiety, fear, and worry regarding the childbirth process, often arising from concerns about physical pain, complications, or uncertainty about the baby's health. Many women experience this fear during pregnancy, which, in some cases, may develop into a clinical condition known as tokophobia . Birth fear can increase stress levels, disrupting the mother's hormonal balance, which may prolong labor, increase the risk of complications, and negatively impact fetal development. Additionally, it can lead to issues such as loss of self-confidence, anxiety, and depression in the mother, while causing communication problems and lack of support between partners. Birth fear affects not only the labor process but also the postpartum period, potentially leading to postpartum depression, trauma, and difficulties in mother-infant bonding. All these factors can adversely impact the psychosocial well-being of both women and couples. Therefore, it is crucial to develop interventions aimed at recognizing and reducing birth fear.

Study Overview

Status

Enrolling by invitation

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

Podcasts, with their accessibility, low cost, and user-friendly structure, allow individuals to access health-related information more easily and personalize the educational process, making it more effective. These factors make podcasts a valuable tool, especially in areas that require emotional and cognitive intervention, such as birth fear. While birth fear is a significant psychological factor influencing the anxiety of women and their partners regarding the childbirth process, there are limited intervention-focused studies targeting couples in this area. Although various methods have been proposed in the literature to reduce birth fear, data on the effectiveness of digital educational tools like podcasts in this domain is insufficient. This research aims to fill an important gap by evaluating the effect of a podcast series on birth fear in couples. The purpose of this study is to examine how a podcast series focused on birth fear impacts birth fear, anxiety, and postpartum depression in couples.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

50

Phase

  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

19-35 years old married primiparous 2nd trimester pregnant women

Exclusion Criteria:

Pregnant women with risky pregnancies illiteracy problems with internet access visual and hearing impairment

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Single

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: podcast
In accordance with the established training program for participants, a four-phase podcast listening process aimed at reducing birth fear will be implemented. The first podcast will be launched at the 33rd week of pregnancy, with the goal of helping participants gain information about the childbirth process and reduce their anxiety. Following that, a second podcast will be played at the 34th week of pregnancy, focusing on supporting psychological preparation for childbirth. The third podcast, to be implemented at the 35th week, will address topics such as relaxation techniques and breathing exercises that can be used during labor. Finally, the fourth podcast, played at the 36th week, will emphasize the importance of positive thinking and partner support during labor. To evaluate the effectiveness of the podcast sessions, psychological status and partner support scales will be applied at specific weeks.
Behavioral: podcast training
In accordance with the established training program for participants, a four-phase podcast listening process aimed at reducing birth fear will be implemented. The first podcast will be launched at the 33rd week of pregnancy, with the goal of helping participants gain information about the childbirth process and reduce their anxiety. Following that, a second podcast will be played at the 34th week of pregnancy, focusing on supporting psychological preparation for childbirth. The third podcast, to be implemented at the 35th week, will address topics such as relaxation techniques and breathing exercises that can be used during labor. Finally, the fourth podcast, played at the 36th week, will emphasize the importance of positive thinking and partner support during labor. To evaluate the effectiveness of the podcast sessions, psychological status and partner support scales will be applied at specific weeks.
No Intervention: control
Participants in the control group will not be provided with any podcast sessions; they will continue to benefit only from routine pregnancy follow-ups and existing healthcare services. This group will progress through the natural course without any special interventions, and standard prenatal care procedures will be applied. To measure changes in participants' birth fear and psychological conditions, data will be collected by applying specific scales at the 32nd, 37th, and 39th weeks of pregnancy. Additionally, the same scales will be used on the 2nd postpartum day to assess participants' psychological conditions after childbirth.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Wijma Delivery Expectancy Questionnaire (W-DEQ)
Time Frame: 8 month

This scale measures fear and expectations related to childbirth. Form A focuses on measuring fear of childbirth during pregnancy, while Form B assesses the postpartum process. The W-DEQ-A Form consists of 33 items. Low fear and anxiety are scored between 33-55 points, moderate fear and anxiety between 56-80 points, and high fear and anxiety between 81-165 points. It has three subscales: "Fear and Anxiety of Childbirth," "Expectations Regarding Childbirth," and "Emotional Responses to the Birth Process."

The W-DEQ-B Form consists of 14 items across three subscales: "Fear of Childbirth," "Physical Reactions," and "Psychological Reactions." Low fear is scored between 14-28 points, moderate fear between 29-49 points, and high fear between 50-70 points.
8 month

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Tilburg Pregnancy Distress Scale:
Time Frame: 8 month
This scale is used to determine the psychological stress and anxiety levels experienced during pregnancy. It measures individuals' negative feelings and thoughts regarding the pregnancy process. The scale is assessed through three subscales: "Emotional Distress," "Physical Distress," and "Social Support and Relationships." The total score reflects the intensity of the psychological and physical distress experienced by the individual during pregnancy. The total score determines the personal stress level. A score between 25-40 indicates low stress, between 41-60 indicates moderate stress, and a score of 61 and above indicates high stress.
8 month

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Istanbul University - Cerrahpasa

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

April 14, 2026

Primary Completion (Estimated)

December 7, 2026

Study Completion (Estimated)

December 30, 2026

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

April 8, 2025

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

April 8, 2025

First Posted (Actual)

April 16, 2025

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

April 17, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

April 14, 2026

Last Verified

April 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Other Study ID Numbers

  • 2025/160

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

IPD Plan Description

The data will not be shared due to privacy concerns and the protection of participant confidentiality. Additionally, there are no plans to make the data publicly available as the study is ongoing and the analysis is still in progress.

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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