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Completed

NCT Number: NCT03692923

VIRTUAL COMMUNITY for PREGNANT WOMEN

The study aimed to investigate the effect of exclusive peer-to-peer virtual support on pregnant women's well-being including physical symptoms, depression, social support, maternal attachment, and pregnancy adaptation.

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Key information

Conditions

Normal Pregnancy

Age range

20 year and older

Sex eligibility

Female

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

About this study

The pregnancy period is marked by not only the joy and excitement of bonding with her baby but also dramatic changes in her body. The Internet's convenience and anonymity provide great possibilities for pregnant women to create a social network for sharing personal stories, seeking information and asking questions, and expressing own emotions and concerns.

Although health-related online communities are emerging rapidly around the globe, little is known about the impact of a virtual peer community on pregnant women's well-being.

The study enrolled 138 pregnant women, who were assigned to either the experimental or control groups. After obtaining informed consent from participants, we asked them to fill out the baseline questionnaires (Time 1). The first and second follow-ups (Times 2 and 3) were conducted at 22-24 and 36-38 weeks of pregnancy, respectively. Participants in the experimental group received ordinary prenatal care in addition to virtual community participation, and those in the control group received only ordinary prenatal care.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: Yes

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • Pregnant women were older than 20 years old
  • Had at least 9 years of education.

Exclusion criteria

  • Had complications in this pregnancy
  • Had underlying medical problems with pregnancy.

Treatment and study plan

virtual community

Other

Primary outcomes

  1. The pregnancy adaptation scale

    Time frame: repeated measured at second trimester (22-24 weeks of pregnancy), and the third trimester (36-38 weeks of pregnancy).

    Used to investigate the changes in the scores of pregnancy adaptation. Items are scored from 0 to 3 and they are summed to compute a total score ranging from 0 to 84. Higher scores indicate better pregnancy adaptation.

  2. The Edinburgh Depression Scale

    Time frame: repeated measured at second trimester (22-24 weeks of pregnancy), and the third trimester (36-38 weeks of pregnancy).

    Used to investigate the changes in the scores of depression. Items are scored from 0 to 3 and they are summed to compute a total score ranging from 0 to 30. The cut-off point for depression is a total score of 12 or above.

Secondary outcomes

  1. The Symptoms Checklist

    Time frame: repeated measured at second trimester (22-24 weeks of pregnancy), and the third trimester (36-38 weeks of pregnancy).

    Used to investigate the changes in the scores of pregnancy-related physical symptoms. Items are scored from 1 to 4 and they are summed to compute a total score ranging from 22 to 88. Higher scores indicate experiencing more symptoms.

  2. The Social Support Scale

    Time frame: repeated measured at second trimester (22-24 weeks of pregnancy), and the third trimester (36-38 weeks of pregnancy).

    Used to investigate the changes in the scores of social support perception. Items are scored from 1 to 5 and they are summed to compute a total score ranging from 20 to 100. higher scores indicate perceived higher social support from family, peer pregnant women, friends, and healthcare providers.

  3. The Maternal-Fetal Attachment Assessment Scale

    Time frame: repeated measured at second trimester (22-24 weeks of pregnancy), and the third trimester (36-38 weeks of pregnancy).

    Used to investigate the changes in the scores of maternal-fetal attachment. Items are scored from 1 to 5 and they are summed to compute a total score ranging from 39 to 195. Higher scores indicate higher maternal-fetal attachment.

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Tzu Chi University

Other

Collaborators

  • National Science and Technology Council, Taiwan

Registry information

Official study title

Impact of A Peer Virtual Community on Pregnant Women's Well-being: A Quasi-experimental Study

Important dates

Study start
2012
Primary completion
2015
Study completion
2015
First posted
Oct 2, 2018
Registry last updated
Oct 4, 2018

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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