Journal of Isfahan Medical School

Journal of Isfahan Medical School

The Effects of e-Learning about Fetal Screening Tests on the Level of Anxiety and Worry in Pregnant Women

Document Type : Original Article (s)

Authors
Elham Majlesi 1
Ali Navidian 2
Maryam Navaee 3
Mostafa Montazer-Zohouri 4
1 MSc Student, Department of Nursing, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Zahedan University of Medical Sciences, Zahedan, Iran
2 Department of Psychiatric Nursing, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Community Nursing Research Center, Zahedan University of Medical Sciences, Zahedan, Iran
3 Department of Midwifery, Pregnancy Health Research Center, Zahedan University of Medical Sciences, Zahedan, Iran
4 Genetics of Non-Communicable Disease Research Center, Zahedan University of Medical Sciences, Zahedan, Iran
10.22122/jims.v39i626.14054
Abstract
Background: Congenital malformations are important causes of neonatal mortality and morbidity. They can be prevented by performing screening tests and accurate treatment schedules in pregnancy period. Screening tests may cause anxiety in pregnant women. The aim of this study was to determine the effects of e-learning about fetal screening tests on anxiety in pregnant women.Methods: This was a quasi-experimental study performed on 120 pregnant women of 7 to 9 weeks gestational age who referred to health centers in Zahedan City, Iran, during the year 2020, to receive prenatal care randomly in two groups of intervention and control. In the intervention group, the training was conducted in the form of 7-minute animation in groups of 5-10 people; the animation was sent to their mobile cells as well. While the control group received only routine pregnancy care. Before and 2 weeks after training, anxiety and worrying of pregnant women were assessed using Spielberger Anxiety Questionnaire and Cambridge Worry Scale (CWS). Data were analyzed using chi-square, independent t, and ANCOVA tests.Findings: The defiance of mean anxiety score of pregnant women in the two groups before e-learning was not significant (P = 0.920). Independent t-test showed that after performing e-learning about fetal screening tests, the mean score of anxiety in women in the intervention group was significantly lower than the control group (P = 0.001). Moreover, the mean score of anxiety in the intervention group after e-learning of fetal screening tests decreased significantly (P = 0.001).Conclusion: The study showed that e-learning in the form of animation in the intervention group significantly reduced anxiety and worrying in pregnant mothers.
Keywords
Diagnostic screening programs
Test anxiety scale
Pregnancy
Distance Education
Animation
  1. Bloom SL, Corton MM, Spong CY, Dashe JS, Leveno KJ. Williams Obstetrics. 24th ed. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Education; 2014.
  2. Viotti M. Preimplantation genetic testing for chromosomal abnormalities: Aneuploidy, mosaicism, and structural rearrangements. Genes (Basel) 2020; 11(6): 602.
  3. Knutzen DM, Stoll KA, McClellan MW, Deering SH, Foglia LM. Improving knowledge about prenatal screening options: can group education make a difference? J Matern Fetal Neonatal Med 2013; 26(18): 1799-803.
  4. Dondorp W, de WG, Bombard Y, Bianchi DW, Bergmann C, Borry P, et al. Non-invasive prenatal testing for aneuploidy and beyond: challenges of responsible innovation in prenatal screening. Eur J Hum Genet 2015; 23(11): 1438-50.
  5. Dong D, Ahmed S, Nichini E, Yi H, Jafri H, Rashid Y, et al. Decision making on antenatal screening results: A comparative Q-method study of women from two Chinese cities. Health Expect 2021; 24(2): 363-76.
  6. Dargahi H, Ghazi saidi M, Ghasemi M. Comparative Study of Electronic Medical Education in Studied Countries. Payavard 2010; 3 (3-4): 55-69.
  7. Kordi M, Riyazi S, Lotfalizade M, Shakeri MT, Suny HJ. A comparison of face to face and group education on informed choice and decisional conflict of pregnant women about screening tests of fetal abnormalities. J Educ Health Promot 2018; 7: 6.
  8. Gholami Booreng F, Mahram B, Kareshki H. Construction and validation of a scale of research anxiety for students. Iran J Psychiatry Clin Psychol 2017; 23(1): 78-93.
  9. Zaremobini F. The effects of lavender oil inhalation on level of anxiety during first stage of labor in primigravida women. J Fundam Ment Health 2010; 12(48): 6-720.
  10. Green JM, Kafetsios K, Statham HE, Snowdon CM. Factor structure, validity and reliability of the Cambridge Worry Scale in a pregnant population. J Health Psychol 2003; 8(6): 753-64.
  11. Yousefi R. Psychometric properties of Persian version of Renatal Distress Questionnaire (PDQ). Nurs Midwifery J. 2015; 13 (3):215-225.
  12. SalehMoghaddam A, Zoka A, Mazlom S R, Amini S. The effect of educational videos on pre operation anxiety among patients before undergoing open heart surgery without pump. Nurs Midwifery J. 2016; 14(7): 648-57.
  13. Rabiei Z, Jahanpour F, Azodi F, Azodi P. Effect of educational multimedia on anxiety before cesarean section. Iran J Obstet Gynecol Infertil 2017; 20(5): 24-9.
  14. Kakinuma A, Nagatani H, Otake H, Mizuno J, Nakata Y. The effects of short interactive animation video information on preanesthetic anxiety, knowledge, and interview time: A randomized controlled trial. Anesth Analg 2011; 112(6): 1314-8.
  15. Kaiser AS, Ferris LE, Pastuszak AL, Llewellyn-Thomas H, Johnson JA, Conacher S, et al. The effects of prenatal group genetic counselling on knowledge, anxiety and decisional conflict: issues for nuchal translucency screening. J Obstet Gynaecol 2002; 22(3): 246-55.
  16. Bjorklund U, Marsk A, Ohman SG. Does an information film about prenatal testing in early pregnancy affect women's anxiety and worries? J Psychosom Obstet Gynaecol 2013; 34(1): 9-14.
  17. Ohman SG, Bjorklund U, Marsk A. Does an informational film increase women's possibility to make an informed choice about second trimester ultrasound? Prenat Diagn 2012; 32(9): 833-9.
  18. Lou S, Mikkelsen L, Hvidman L, Petersen OB, Nielsen CP. Does screening for Down's syndrome cause anxiety in pregnant women? A systematic review. Acta Obstet Gynecol Scand 2015; 94(1): 15-27.
  19. Thornton JG, Hewison J, Lilford RJ, Vail A. A randomised trial of three methods of giving information about prenatal testing. BMJ 1995; 311(7013): 1127-30.

  • Receive Date 12 April 2021
  • Accept Date 06 April 2022