Effectiveness of Selected Mind Body Interventions on Cortisol Level Among Antenatal Women With Anxiety Related to Childbirth

Abstract

Anxiety is prevalent during pregnancy, which have an adverse impact on the fetus and neonate. During anxiety stress hormone triggers the release of glucocorticoid stress hormones, cortisol. Cortisol is secreted in higher levels during the body's stress response and is responsible for several stressrelated changes in the body. Mind body interventions are an effective and simple method to reduce the cortisol secretion. The aim of this study was to assess the effectiveness of selected mind body interventions on cortisol level among antenatal women with anxiety on childbirth. Participants were 30 primi antenatal women (15 experimental and 15control groups) at 32-33 weeks of gestation. In pretest cortisol level was checked for both groups. On the day of pretest selected mind body interventions were demonstrated to participants of experimental group but control group received only standard hospital routine care. After 4 weeks of intervention i.e. at 36-37 weeks of gestation cortisol level was checked for both groups. There was a significant difference in mean scores of cortisol level between control and experimental groups and there was also a significant difference between the pre and post tests of experimental group (p<0.001). The results of the study showed that the selected mind body interventions reduce the cortisol level among antenatal women with anxiety related to childbirth.