Haptotherapy as a new intervention for treating fear of childbirth: a randomized controlled trial

Figures & data

Figure 1. Allocation overview. ITT: Intention to treat analysis. AT: As treated analysis.

Table 1. Baseline Characteristics and Measurements.

	Intention to treat analysis (ITT)						As treated analysis (AT)
	HT (n = 51)		INT (n = 39)		CAU (n = 44)		HT (n = 67)		No-HT (n = 35)
	N	%	N	%	N	%	N	%	N	%
Primigravida	32	(62.7)	17	(43.6)	25	(56.8)	37	(55.2)	16	(45.7)
Multigravida	19	(37.3)	22	(56.4)	19	(43.2)	30	(44.8)	19	(54.3)
High educational level	36	(70.5)	21	(53.8)	27	(61.4)	49	(73.1)	19	(54.3)
Medium educational level	14	(27.5)	18	(46.2)	15	(34.1)	18	(26.9)	14	(40.0)
Low educational level	1	(2.0)	0	(0.0)	2	(4.5)	0	(0.0)	2	(5.7)
Partner	49	(96.1)	39	(100)	41	(93.2)	66	(98.5)	33	(94.3)
	M	SD	M	SD	M	SD	M	SD	M	SD
Age (years)	32.8	(4.6)	31.8	(3.9)	32.6	(5.3)	33.2	(4.1)	32.3	(4.7)
Gestational age (weeks)	20.6	(4.4)	20.1	(4.1)	20.5	(4.6)	19.9	(4.4)	20.3	(4.9)
4DSQ Anxiety (range: 24)	4.5	(4.4)	4.6	(5.3)	4.7	(5.1)	4.4	(4.4)	3.2	(3.5)
4DSQ Depression (range: 12)	1.2	(2.4)	1.1	(1.7)	1.2	(2.4)	1.1	(2.4)	0.5	(0.8)
4DSQ Distress (range: 32)	14.0	(8.6)	15.1	(7.2)	14.3	(7.8)	13.7	(8.6)	13.7	(6.1)
4DSQ Somatization (range: 29)	11.1	(7.0)	11.5	(5.6)	11.9	(6.1)	10.1	(7.0)	12.1	(5.4)
SSQ (range: 22)	23.6	(5.0)	22.2	(5.0)	23.1	(5.5)	24.1	(5.0)	22.1	(5.7)
W-DEQ (range: 141)	101.1	(13.8)	104.5	(17.5)	98.6	(15.4)	101.4	(13.8)	97.5	(13.3)

HT: Haptotherapy; INT: Psycho-education via Internet; CAU: Care as usual; 4DSQ: Four Dimensional Symptom Questionnaire; SSQ: Social Support Questionnaire; W-DEQ: Wijma Delivery Expectancy/Experience Questionnaire.

Figure 2. Means of fear of childbirth (W-DEQ score) across four measurement occasions. T1: 20–24 weeks of gestation, T2: 36 weeks of gestation, T3: 6 weeks postpartum, and T4: 6 months postpartum. (a) Intention to treat analysis (ITT). 1: Haptotherapy (HT), 2: Psycho-education via the Internet (INT), 3: Care as usual (CAU), 4: Cut off score 85. (b) As treated analysis (AT). A: Haptotherapy including Cross-overs (HT + CRO), B: Combined no-HT groups (INT + CAU), C: Cut off score 85.

Table 2. Results of multiple regressions using AT analyzes with FOC and social support at T1 and the intervention as predictors, and the 4DSQ-scale T1–T2 change scores as dependent variables.

	Dependent variable
	Δ Distress		Δ Depression		Δ Somatization		Δ Anxiety
Predictor	B	rpr^2	B	rpr^2	B	rpr^2	B	rpr^2
W-DEQ T1	0.057	1.6%	0.000	0%	−0.036	1.0%	−0.015	0.5%
SSQ T1	0.211	2.5%	0.098	5.0%	0.119	1.3%	0.083	1.8%
Intervention		4.9%		8.4%		0.2%		9.8%
HT	−2.997		−1.288		0.452		−1.982
No-HT	–		–		–		–
R-square		10.6%		12.1%		3.7%		12.7%
N	102		102		102		102

Significant values printed in boldface.

r_pr² is the squared semi-partial correlation, which reflects the proportion of the total variance in the dependent variable (in percentage) that is uniquely explained by the predictor. AT: As treated; FOC: Fear of childbirth; HT: Haptotherapy; SSQ: Social support questionnaire. T1: 20–24 weeks of gestation. T2: week 36 of gestation.