The Effect of Prenatal Self‑Care Based on Orem’s Theory on Preterm Birth Occurrence in Women at Risk for Preterm Birth

Background: Preterm birth is increasing as a major cause of perinatal complications and mortality in Iran. The present study aimed to investigate the effect of prenatal self‑care based on Orem’s theory on preterm birth occurrence in women at risk for preterm birth. Materials and Methods: The present clinical trial was conducted on 176 pregnant women at 24–26 weeks at risk for preterm birth in Mashhad, Iran, from December 2015 to October 2016. A multistage sampling method was used in this study. The intervention group (88 pregnant women) received individual self‑care education but the control group (88 pregnant women) received only common prenatal care. Results: There was a statistically significant difference between intervention and control groups in terms of preterm birth occurrence (6.80% vs 20.50%) (2 = 6.90, df = 1, p = 0.008). The incidence of preterm birth in the intervention group was approximately three times higher than that in the control group. Conclusions: Given that educational interventions could reduce the incidence of preterm birth, it is suggested that the women at risk for preterm birth are trained for prenatal self‑care.