THE EFFECT OF MASSAGE AND ACUPRESSURE ON PREGNANT WOMEN ANXIETY LEVEL

Labor pain is one of the most severe pain type experienced by women during their life. As a result of Labor pain and birth-related stress have an adverse effect on maternal and fetal health. The control of labor pain will reduce the anxiety and tension. This research was a randomized incidence control study to determine the effects of massage and acupressure as nonpharmacologic methods, used in the initial stage of labor to manage labor pain, on pregnant women anxiety level. The participants in the sampling were seperated in four groups with 30 women in each group and a total sample size of 120 participants were reached. Women in each group, except control group, were given massage or accupressure, or both together. Women in control group weren’t given any intervention. The level of anxiety was evaluated by using “Spielberger Manual for State Trait Anxiety Inventory STAI‟ . Data were evaluated via frequency and percentage calculations, Student`s t-test, one way analysis of variance, and Tukey`s HSD test. Implementations, massage and acupressure, were found to be effective on reducing initial phase anxiety. But, it is determined that massage implementation is more efficient than acupressure. It is thought that this study is going to lead other studies which will be applied on different patient groups that have more samplings. Massage and acupressure implementations are suggested as reliable ways on pregnant women anxiety.