Journal of Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences (Jun 2024)
Evaluation of Peer Education on Parental Stress and Situational Anxiety in Mothers of Premature Infants Hospitalized in NICU
Abstract
Background and purpose: Pregnancy, childbirth, and acceptance of parental roles are associated with anxiety and stress in parents, and mothers of premature infants have special needs. Peer education has been introduced as an effective way of educating patients and their caregivers. This study aimed to determine the effect of a peer education program on parental stress and situational anxiety in mothers of premature infants hospitalized in the neonatal intensive care unit Materials and methods: This was a quasi-experimental study conducted in Karaj. The study population consisted of 154 mothers of premature infants hospitalized in the neonatal intensive care unit of Alborz Hospital in Karaj. A sequential sampling method was used according to the inclusion criteria. First, 77 mothers in the control group were included in the study, and after collecting data, the mothers of the intervention group were selected. Five 30-minute training sessions were performed on consecutive days and at specific times by five trained counterparts for the mothers of the intervention group in small groups of 3-5 people. Training sessions consisted of discussions and exchanges of opinions between researchers and peers. The sessions were held at the hospital in the training room next to the neonatal intensive care unit at a certain time of the day and for 5 consecutive days. At the end of each session, peer educators summarized the issues raised in the group and answered the questions. Parental stress was assessed using the Parental Stress and Scale, and situational anxiety was assessed using the Spielberg Situational Anxiety Inventory. The mothers of the intervention group answered the questions of the above-mentioned questionnaire before the implementation of the peer education program immediately after the intervention and one month later. Mothers in the control group completed the questionnaire simultaneously. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 22 with analysis variances T t-test, and repeated measure test. Results: The mean age of mothers in the control and intervention groups was 29.49±4.76 and 30.5±4.5 respectively. The education level of most mothers in both the intervention and control groups was middle and high school to diploma, and most mothers of premature infants in both the intervention and control groups were housewives. None of the demographic characteristics was significantly different between the intervention and control groups. The mean stress scores in the intervention and control groups before the intervention were 120.94±16.04 and 116.26±33.82, respectively(P=0.462). Mothers in the intervention group experienced significantly less parental stress (intervention: 98.71±11.21, control: 114.83±32.56) after the peer education program compared with the control group, and this difference was statistically significant(P=0.007). There was a significant difference in parental stress one month after the implementation of the peer education program (intervention: 98.71±11.21, control: 114.83±32.56 (P<0.001)). Before the intervention, the mean anxiety scores of mothers in the intervention and control groups were 46.08±4.27 and 47.22±5.30, respectively(P=0.325). Mothers in the intervention group had significantly lower situational anxiety (intervention: 40.74±6.84, control: 45.02±7.03) compared with the control group after the peer education program(P=0.05). There was a significant difference in situational anxiety (intervention, 40.57±6.44, control: 46.80±7.55) in mothers in the two groups one month after the implementation of the peer education program (P<0.001). Conclusion: Peer education is an effective intervention for reducing parental stress and situational anxiety in mothers with premature infants, and the use of peer participation in education for this group of mothers among neonatal intensive care nurses and other members of healthcare providers is recommended.
