QR Code-Based Preoperative Education for Cesarean Birth: Anxiety, Pain, and Comfort

January 18, 2026 updated by: Reyhan Aydin Doğan, Karabuk University

The Effect of QR Code-Based Preoperative Education on Anxiety, Postpartum Pain, and Comfort in Women Undergoing Cesarean Birth

This study aims to evaluate the effect of QR code-based preoperative education on anxiety, postpartum pain, and comfort levels in women undergoing cesarean birth. Cesarean delivery is a common surgical procedure, and insufficient preoperative information may increase anxiety and negatively affect postoperative recovery and comfort.

In this randomized controlled study, eligible pregnant women scheduled for elective cesarean birth will be assigned to either an intervention group or a control group. Women in the intervention group will receive preoperative education delivered through QR code-based digital materials, including information about the cesarean procedure, postoperative pain management, and comfort-enhancing strategies. The control group will receive routine care provided by the hospital.

Anxiety levels will be assessed preoperatively, while postpartum pain and comfort levels will be evaluated after delivery using validated measurement tools. The findings of this study are expected to contribute to the development of accessible and effective educational interventions to improve maternal well-being and postoperative outcomes in cesarean birth.

Study Overview

Status

Not yet recruiting

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

This study is designed as a randomized controlled trial to examine the effects of QR code-based preoperative education on anxiety, postpartum pain, and comfort among women undergoing elective cesarean birth. The study will be conducted in a hospital setting and will include pregnant women who meet the predefined inclusion criteria and provide informed consent.

Participants will be randomly allocated into two groups: an intervention group and a control group. Randomization will be performed using a predetermined allocation method to ensure comparability between groups. Women assigned to the intervention group will receive structured preoperative education delivered through QR code-based digital materials. These materials will include information on the cesarean birth process, perioperative expectations, postoperative pain management, and strategies to enhance physical and psychological comfort. Participants will be able to access the educational content using their personal mobile devices prior to surgery. The control group will receive routine preoperative care and standard information provided by the hospital.

Data collection will be carried out at multiple time points. Preoperative anxiety levels will be assessed prior to the cesarean procedure. Postpartum pain and comfort levels will be evaluated after delivery during the postoperative period. Validated measurement instruments will be used to collect outcome data. Sociodemographic and obstetric characteristics will also be recorded to describe the study population and to control for potential confounding variables.

The primary outcomes of the study are changes in preoperative anxiety and postoperative pain and comfort levels. The study does not involve the use of any pharmacological agents or medical devices and poses minimal risk to participants. The results are expected to provide evidence on the effectiveness of digital, easily accessible educational interventions in improving maternal outcomes in cesarean birth.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

88

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 Contact

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
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Pregnant women aged 18 years or older
  • Scheduled for elective (planned) cesarean birth
  • Able to read and understand Turkish and complete study questionnaires
  • Able to provide written informed consent
  • Has access to a smartphone and is able to use a QR code to view the educational materials (intervention arm)

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Emergency cesarean birth or unplanned change to emergency surgery
  • Presence of high-risk pregnancy or serious obstetric/medical complications requiring intensive management (e.g., severe preeclampsia/eclampsia, major hemorrhage risk, unstable systemic disease)
  • Known psychiatric disorder or current use of medications that may substantially affect anxiety assessment (as judged by the clinical team)
  • Communication barriers that prevent participation (e.g., severe visual/hearing impairment, cognitive impairment) or inability to complete questionnaires
  • No smartphone access or inability/unwillingness to use QR code materials (for intervention delivery)
  • Refusal to participate or withdrawal of consent at any time

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: Other
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: QR Code-Based Preoperative Education
Participants in this arm will receive structured preoperative education delivered through QR code-based digital materials prior to elective cesarean birth. The educational content will include information about the cesarean procedure, perioperative expectations, postoperative pain management, and comfort-enhancing strategies.
Behavioral: QR Code-Based Preoperative Education
Educational intervention delivered via QR code-based digital materials providing preoperative information on cesarean birth, postoperative pain management, and comfort strategies.
No Intervention: Control
Participants in this arm will receive routine preoperative care and standard information provided by the hospital without access to the QR code-based educational materials.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Postpartum Pain Level
Time Frame: Postpartum period following cesarean birth
Postpartum pain levels will be evaluated to determine the effect of QR code-based preoperative education on pain experienced after cesarean birth. Pain will be assessed using a validated pain assessment tool.
Postpartum period following cesarean birth
Preoperative Anxiety Level
Time Frame: Preoperatively, prior to cesarean birth
Preoperative anxiety will be assessed to evaluate the effect of QR code-based preoperative education on anxiety levels in women undergoing elective cesarean birth. Anxiety will be measured using a validated self-report instrument.
Preoperatively, prior to cesarean birth

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Maternal Comfort Level
Time Frame: Postpartum period following cesarean birth
Maternal comfort will be assessed to examine the effect of QR code-based preoperative education on physical and psychological comfort after cesarean birth. Comfort levels will be measured using a validated comfort assessment scale.
Postpartum period following cesarean birth

Collaborators and Investigators

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

Sponsor

Karabuk University

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 (Estimated)

February 2, 2026

Primary Completion (Estimated)

March 25, 2026

Study Completion (Estimated)

June 20, 2026

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

January 18, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

January 18, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

January 26, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

January 26, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

January 18, 2026

Last Verified

January 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Other Study ID Numbers

  • 2023/1494

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

IPD Plan Description

Individual participant data (IPD) will not be shared because the study involves sensitive personal and health-related information collected within a single-center, thesis-based research project. Data confidentiality and participant privacy will be strictly protected in accordance with ethical approval and institutional policies. De-identified, aggregate results will be reported in publications.

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

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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