The effect of two different self-assessment methods for fetal movement monitoring on maternal psychosocial status

The study was conducted as a randomized controlled experimental study to determine the effect of fetal movement counting with two different self-assessment methods on prenatal attachment and psychosocial (maternal stress and risk perception) status. The study included 76 pregnant women who met the research criteria and applied to Tekirdağ Dr. İsmail Fehmi Cumalıoğlu City Hospital Gynecology Emergency Department between 06/03/2024-20/06/2024. Computer-aided randomization program was used for the distribution of 76 primiparous pregnant women between 28-32 weeks of gestation to Sadovsky and Mindfetalness groups. Information Form, Prenatal Maternal Attachment Scale (PMAMAS), Perceived Stress Scale-10 (PSS-10), State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) and Pregnancy Risk Perception Scale (PRAS) were administered as pretest. Two weeks after the application training, the pregnant women were called back to the institution and a follow-up follow-up was performed to determine whether they had performed the application and whether they had recorded correctly. At the end of the fourth week, both groups were administered the SLABÖ, ASÖ-10, STAI and GRASÖ as a post-test. The data obtained within the scope of the study were analyzed with SPSS for Windows (Version 24.0, Statistical Package for Social Sciences) program.Statistically, the significance value was accepted as p<0.05. A significant difference was found between the two groups in terms of mean trait and state anxiety scores after the intervention (p˂0.05). In the first month after the intervention, the stress levels perceived by the pregnant women in the Mindfetalness group were found to be significantly lower than the pregnant women in the Sadovsky group. After the intervention, no significant difference was found between the two groups in terms of the mean score of the risk perception scale in pregnancy (p=0.927). It was determined that attachment scores in the Mindfetalness and Sadovsky groups increased significantly after the intervention (p˂0.001, p˂0.001, respectively). Both methods used in the study had a positive effect on prenatal attachment and maternal psychosocial status. Keywords: Fetal Movement Counting, Prenatal Attachment, Pregnancy, Risk Perception, Stress