The study sample will be selected using random sampling from among pregnant women who apply to the Prenatal Education Program at Kahramanmaraş Sütçü İmam University Faculty of Medicine Hospital. The study was conducted using a quasi-experimental design with an experimental and control group, employing a pre-test-post-test approach. A portion of the pregnant women, selected through random assignment, will be included in the experimental group, while the remaining portion will be included in the control group. Data will be collected by the researcher through face-to-face interviews at the Prenatal Education School of Kahramanmaraş Sütçü İmam University Faculty of Medicine Hospital. Each face-to-face interview will last approximately 15-30 minutes. The study will be conducted with two groups: the Maternal Epigenetic Education Module intervention group (intervention) and the control group.
Prior to the start of the educational program, pre-test data will be collected from participants in the intervention group by administering the Personal Information Form, the Pregnancy Stress Assessment Scale, and the Epigenetic Awareness and Knowledge Form. Additionally, saliva samples will be collected to determine participants' cortisol levels. The Maternal Epigenetic Education Module will be conducted over three weeks, consisting of a total of three sessions held once a week. The educational presentation will cover stress management, the potential effects of stress during pregnancy on the mother, the potential effects of stress during pregnancy on the fetus, epigenetic mechanisms, and the effects of the mother's lifestyle on fetal health. Following the completion of the training program, the Pregnancy Stress Assessment Scale and the Epigenetic Awareness and Knowledge Form will be administered again to obtain final test data, and saliva samples will be collected once more to measure cortisol levels. For participants in the control group, only two interviews will be conducted. During the first interview, the Personal Information Form, the Pregnancy Stress Assessment Scale, and the Epigenetic Awareness and Knowledge Form will be administered, and a saliva sample will be collected.
At the second follow-up visit, which will take place four weeks later, final data will be collected using the Pregnancy Stress Assessment Scale and the Epigenetic Awareness and Knowledge Form, and saliva samples will be collected again for cortisol measurement. The stress levels, epigenetic awareness levels, and cortisol levels of the pregnant women will be measured before and after the intervention.
