The Effect of Prenatal Self-Care Based on Orem's Theory on Preterm Birth Occurrence in Women at Risk for Preterm Birth

Seyedeh-Mahboobeh Rezaeean; Zahra Abedian; Robab Latifnejad-Roudsari; Seyed-Reza Mazloum; Zohreh Abbasi

doi:10.4103/ijnmr.IJNMR_207_19

The Effect of Prenatal Self-Care Based on Orem's Theory on Preterm Birth Occurrence in Women at Risk for Preterm Birth

Iran J Nurs Midwifery Res. 2020 Apr 18;25(3):242-248. doi: 10.4103/ijnmr.IJNMR_207_19. eCollection 2020 May-Jun.

Authors

Seyedeh-Mahboobeh Rezaeean¹, Zahra Abedian^{2

3}, Robab Latifnejad-Roudsari^{2

3}, Seyed-Reza Mazloum^{2

4}, Zohreh Abbasi¹

Affiliations

¹ Department of Midwifery, Medical Faculty, North Khorasan University of Medical Sciences, Bojnurd, Iran.
² Nursing and Midwifery Care Research Center, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.
³ Department of Midwifery, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.
⁴ Department of Medical Surgical Nursing, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.

Abstract

Background: Preterm birth is increasing as a major cause of perinatal complications and mortality in Iran. The present study aimed to investigate the effect of prenatal self-care based on Orem's theory on preterm birth occurrence in women at risk for preterm birth.

Materials and methods: The present clinical trial was conducted on 176 pregnant women at 24-26 weeks at risk for preterm birth in Mashhad, Iran, from December 2015 to October 2016. A multistage sampling method was used in this study. The intervention group (88 pregnant women) received individual self-care education but the control group (88 pregnant women) received only common prenatal care.

Results: There was a statistically significant difference between intervention and control groups in terms of preterm birth occurrence (6.80% vs 20.50%) (χ² = 6.90, df = 1,p = 0.008). The incidence of preterm birth in the intervention group was approximately three times higher than that in the control group.

Conclusions: Given that educational interventions could reduce the incidence of preterm birth, it is suggested that the women at risk for preterm birth are trained for prenatal self-care.

Keywords: Iran; premature birth; self care.