European Journal of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences

EFFECTIVENESS OF PACED BREATHING EXERCISE ON LABOUR PAIN AND ANXIETY AMONG PRIMI MOTHERS DURING FIRST STAGE OF LABOUR IN SELECTED HOSPITALS AT KOLLAM

Jincy Liz Mathew*, Annal Angeline, Anoopa K. R. and Anand S.

ABSTRACT

A quasi experimental study was conducted to assess the effect of paced breathing exercise on pain and anxiety among primi mothers during first stage of labour. The objectives of the study were to assess the effect of paced breathing exercise on pain among primi mothers during first stage of labour, to assess the effect of paced breathing exercise on anxiety among primi mothers during first stage of labour, to find the correlation between labour pain and anxiety among primi mothers during first stage of labour, to find the association between pain among primi mothers during first stage of labour and selected demographic variables and to find the association between anxiety among primi mothers during first stage of labour and selected demographic variables Pretest posttest control group design was used in this study. Purposive sampling was used to select 60 samples. Pretest was conducted using Numerical Pain Rating Scale and Spielberg State Trait Anxiety Scale. For experimental group, paced breathing exercise was given. Control group received routine nursing care. The findings of the study showed that the mean posttest pain score of experimental group was lower than the control group and the mean posttest anxiety score of experimental group was lower than control group and it was significant at 0.05 level of significance. The findings of the study shows that there is mild negligible correlation (0.06) between pain and anxiety. The findings of the study shows that there was significant association between the pain with age, augmentation of labour and intensity of contraction and no significant association between anxiety with other variables. The study concludes that paced breathing exercise was effective in reducing pain and anxiety among primi mothers during first stage of labour.

Keywords: Paced breathing exercise; primi mothers; first stage of labour.