Stress Management in Primgravid Women: A Theory of Planned Behavior-Based Supportive-Educational Intervention

Emami Alni, Zeinab; Soltani, Esmail; Mohammadbeigi, Abolfazl; Gharlipour, Zabihollah

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Stress Management in Primgravid Women: A Theory of Planned Behavior-Based Supportive-Educational Intervention

Zeinab Emami Alni

, Esmail Soltani

, Abolfazl Mohammadbeigi

, Zabihollah Gharlipour ^*

Abstract: (22 Views)

Background and Objective: Many of women describe pregnancy as one of the most stressful periods of their lives, and this phenomenon is more intense among primiparous women. On the other hand, pregnant mothers prefer non-pharmacological treatments for managing mood and anxiety disorders. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of a Supportive-Educational Intervention based on the Theory of Planned Behavior on stress management in primiparous women.

Materials and Methods: In this quasi-experimental intervention, of 92 primiparous women from Qom city health centers – Iran spanning from December 2020 to June 2021, was randomly divided into two groups: the intervention group and the control group. Multistage sampling method used in the study. The intervention group participated in a 5-week, 10-session educational program. Data were collected using a set of questionnaires, including those for demographic information, the Zimet Social Support Scale, the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale(DASS-21), and constructs of the Theory of Planned Behavior both before and 6 to 8 weeks after the intervention. Data analysis was conducted using SPSS-23 software and involved a variety of statistical tests, including t-test, paired t-test, chi-square test, and Pearson's correlation coefficient.

Results: The results indicated that, following the intervention, the intervention group demonstrated a significant reduction in stress(P<0.001, Mean± SD:26.08±18.24), anxiety(P=0.03, Mean± SD:17.77±13.09), and depression(P =0.02, Mean± SD: 14.81±15.47) mean scores when compared to the control group. Furthermore, the intervention group exhibited a significant increase in social support (P<0.001, Mean± SD: 78.25±8.14) and mean scores related to the constructs of the Theory of Planned Behavior (P< 0.001) following the intervention.

Conclusion: The findings of this study underscore the effectiveness of employing the Theory of Planned Behavior in mental health promotion programs, particularly for Primigravid women.

Open Access Policy: This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Keywords: Primiparous, Stress, Theory of Planned Behavior

Type of Study: Research | Subject: Health Education & Health Promotion
Received: 2025/12/23 | Accepted: 2026/05/31

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