Music in Pregnancy: Minimising Stress
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Feasibility Study of a Music-based Intervention to Reduce Stress in Pregnant Women
IRAS ID
188853
Contact name
Fiona Lynn
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Queen's University Belfast
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 0 months, 31 days
Research summary
Stress during pregnancy has been shown to affect the health of both mother and infant. Pregnant women who experience stress are more likely to participate in unhealthy behaviour such as smoking and drinking and are at greater risk of preterm birth and having a low birth weight infant. With approximately a quarter of women experiencing emotional distress during pregnancy there is a need to provide women with a mechanism of support to minimise stress.
The overall aim of this research is to explore the use of music as a method to reduce stress in pregnant women. The protocol for this study is separated into two phases. Phase one will use focus groups to explore the views of pregnant women and health care professionals who work closely with pregnant women on a music-based intervention, along with any barriers and facilitators to introducing the intervention in practice. Phase two will involve a cross-sectional observational study to test the reliability and validity of stress measurement tools for screening purposes and outcome assessment, as well as assessing the sensitivity and specificity in relation to birth outcomes.
For phase one between eight and 16 pregnant women and between 10 and 18 health care professionals will be recruited through the Royal Jubilee Maternity Services to participate in four focus groups.
For phase two 120 women attending the antenatal outpatients' clinic at Royal Jubilee Maternity Services will be invited to complete a questionnaire, which should take approximately 20 minutes of their time. Participants will also be asked to consent to the researcher accessing electronic maternity records, using the Northern Ireland Maternity System (NIMATS), to collect data on pregnancy outcomes, retrospective to the birth of their infant(s).REC name
Yorkshire & The Humber - Bradford Leeds Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
16/YH/0103
Date of REC Opinion
8 Mar 2016
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion