The effect of breathing techniques training on the duration of labor and levels of anxiety

This research was of randomized controlled experimental design and was conducted to determine the effect of breathing techniques taught to pregnant women on their anxiety level and the duration of their labor. The data for the research were collected over the period March 19, 2016 - November 29, 2016 on the Maternity Floor of the Dumlupınar University Kütahya Evliya Çelebi Training and Research Hospital. A total of 70 nulliparae were recruited into the study, 35 into the study group and 35 into the control group. The data collection instruments comprised a Personal Data Questionnaire, a Labor Monitoring Form to ascertain the duration of labor, and the State Anxiety Inventory developed by Spielberger et al. to measure anxiety levels of pregnants. The pregnant women in the study group were educated about breathing techniques while in the latent phase of labor and then the appropriate techniques were applied at each phase of the labor. No intervention was carried out with respect to the pregnant women in the control group outside of routine hospital procedures. The anxiety levels of the women in the study and control groups were evaluated three times—at the beginning of the latent phase, the end of the latent phase, and at the end of the active phase. The durations of the phases of labor were recorded in the Labor Monitoring Form. The research data were analyzed with the help of an expert using the SPSS (Statistical Package for Social Sciences) 20.0 data analysis package program. The results of the study showed that there were no differences between the control variables of the women in the study and control groups. After the education on breathing techniques was given, the state anxiety inventory mean scores of the women in the study group at the end of the latent phase were lower than the scores of the women in the control group, but the difference was not significant (p>0.05). At the end of the active phase, the state anxiety inventory mean scores were significantly lower in the study group of women (p<0.001). Statistically significant differences were observed between the groups in terms of the mean duration of the first phase of labor; the durations of the study group in the first phase were shorter than in the control group (p<0.001). A comparison of the mean durations of labor in the first phase indicated that the mean latent and active phase durations of labor among the pregnant women in the study group were significantly shorter (p<0.05). No statistically significant differences were found between the groups in terms of the transition phase (p>0.05). At the same time, no statistically significant differences were found between the groups in term of mean durations in the second phase of labor (p>0.05). The conclusion was that the correct implementation of breathing techniques hase an impact on reducing anxiety levels and shortening the duration of labor. In line with the results of the study, it is recommended that midwives/nurses working on maternity floors support pregnant women in learning and implementing breathing techniques to ensure a positive outcome of labor.