The Effect of Hugging and Praying on Traumatic Birth Perception, Pain, and AnxietyNCT07299136

Evaluating the Effect of Hugging and Praying on Traumatic Birth Perception, Birth Pain, and Birth Anxiety

A study testing Hugging group,, Prayer group and Hugging and Praying group in people with The Effect of Hugging and Praying on Traumatic Birth Perception, Pain, and Anxiety, run by NURTEN ÖZÇALKAP at 1 site in Turkey (Türkiye).

Completed

Finished. The study has ended and is not enrolling. Results may be posted on the official record.

Official record

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Trial summary

Who is it for?: Ages 18 years and older, women only
Conditions the study is for: The Effect of Hugging and Praying on Traumatic Birth Perception, Pain, and Anxiety
What is being tested?: Hugging group,, Prayer group and Hugging and Praying group
Could I receive a placebo?: No, everyone receives an active treatment
How many people: 164 participants
Where: 1 siteTurkey (Türkiye)
Study dates: 1 Apr 2025to 30 Nov 2025
Phase: Interventional
Are there results?: None posted in the registry

Key requirements

Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.

Ages 18 years and older
Women only
No healthy volunteers
Adult, Older adult

Who may be able to join

Age ≥18 years
No communication barriers
Applying to Ağrı Training and Research Hospital for normal delivery within the study dates
Volunteering to participate in the study
No contraindications for normal vaginal delivery (e.g., cephalopelvic disproportion)
Being at term (38-42 weeks)
No condition preventing praying and hugging

Who cannot join

Refusal to participate in the study
Maternal disease (heart disease, diabetes, etc.)
Having a preterm or postterm pregnancy
Undergoing an emergency cesarean section during follow-up
Having a fetal malformation (anencephaly, Down syndrome, etc.)
Not answering the questions in the questionnaire

Trial locations and contacts

1 site in 1 country.

Turkey (Türkiye)1 site

Ağri İbrahim Çeçen Universty
Ağrı, Ağrı, 04100

Other trials in Turkey (Türkiye)

About this study

Pregnant women participating in our study will receive the intervention (hugging, praying, and hugging + praying) from the researcher or a relative as often as they wish during labor and contractions. These sessions will be administered during each stage of labor, taking into account when the pregnant woman is ready to begin the intervention.

Read the detailed description

For the hugging group, hugging sessions will be performed whenever the pregnant woman wants and during contractions, if she wishes, by a relative (husband, mother, sister, etc.) or midwife. The pregnant woman can be hugged for as long as she wants or for 5-10 minutes. For the prayer group, whenever the pregnant woman wishes, or during contractions if she wishes, a close relative (husband, mother, sister, etc.) or midwife will recite a prayer chosen by the pregnant woman, if she has one; if she does not have a preferred prayer, the first 5 verses of Surah Al-Inshiqaq will be recited:

In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

When the sky is split asunder,
And obeys the command of its Lord,
When the earth is stretched out flat,
And casts forth what is within it,
And obeys the command of its Lord, every person will be confronted with what they have done! To be read together Before starting the first session, the "Information Form," "Visual Analog Scale," Traumatic Birth Perception Scale, and "Oxford Birth Anxiety Scale (Appendix 4)" will be administered. and at the end of the first, second, and fourth stages of birth, the "Visual Analog Scale," "Traumatic Birth Perception Scale," and "Oxford Birth Anxiety Scale" will be administered.

Conditions: The Effect of Hugging and Praying on Traumatic Birth Perception, Pain, and Anxiety
Being tested: Hugging group,, Prayer group, Hugging and Praying group
Keywords: birth, hugging, praying, pain, anxiety, trauma
Medical subject headings: Pain, Anxiety Disorders, Wounds and Injuries

What participants receive

What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.

Hugging group,Other
For the hugging group, hugging sessions will be provided whenever the pregnant woman desires and during contractions, if she wishes, by a close relative (husband, mother, sister, etc.) or midwife. The pregnant woman can be hugged for as long as she wants or for 5-10 minutes.
Prayer groupOther
For the prayer group, whenever the pregnant woman wishes, or during contractions if she wishes, a close relative (husband, mother, sister, etc.) or midwife will recite a prayer of the pregnant woman's choice, if she has one; if she does not have a preferred prayer, the first 5 verses of Surah Al-Inshiqaq will be recited:
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
1. When the sky is split asunder,
2. And obeys the command of its Lord,
3. When the earth is stretched out flat,
4. And casts forth what is within it,
5. And obeys the command of its Lord, every person will be confronted with what they have done! To be recited together
Hugging and Praying groupOther
The Hugging and Praying group will perform both hugging and praying together with the woman.

Study groups in NCT07299136
Study group	Role	What they receive
Group 1	Experimental	Hugging Receives: Other: Hugging group,
Group 2	Experimental	Praying Receives: Other: Prayer group
Group 3	Experimental	Hugging and Praying Receives: Other: Hugging and Praying group
Group 4	No intervention	CONTROL

What is being measured

The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.

Information Form
This form, prepared by the researcher in line with the literature, inquires about the socio-demographic characteristics of the participants.
Measured: Before starting the first session average 8 months
Visual Analog Scale (VAS)
It is a one-dimensional scale that objectively assesses a pregnant woman's perception of pain. It allows some values that cannot be measured numerically to be converted into numerical values. In 1921, Hayes and Peterson argued that emotional levels could be expressed on lines. The VAS was first developed and used by Bond and Pilowsky in 1966. The VAS is a 100 mm (10 cm) ruler used to quantitatively determine pain intensity, with one end representing painlessness (0 = no pain) and the other end representing the most severe pain (10 = severe pain). The patient marks any point between the two points that corresponds to the severity of their pain. The distance between the end of the scale representing painlessness and the point marked by the patient is measured with a ruler and recorded in centimeters. This numerical value indicates the pregnant woman's pain intensity. 0 cm = No pain, 0.53 cm = Mild pain, 3.5-6.5 = Moderate (Ergin, 2013; Aslan, 2006; Mucuk, 2009).
Measured: average 8 months
Traumatic Birth Perception Scale
TThe Traumatic Birth Perception Scale (TBRS), developed by Yalnız et al. in 2016, is a thirteen-item, unidimensional Likert-type separation scale (Yalnız et al., 2016). Scores range from 0 to 10 for all items not requiring reverse scoring. The minimum scale score is 0 and the maximum is 130. The total scale score ranges from 0 to 26, indicating very low levels of perception of traumatic birth; 27 to 52, indicating low levels; 53 to 78, indicating moderate levels; 79 to 104, indicating high levels; and 105 to 130, indicating very high levels of perception of traumatic birth. The scale's Cronbach's alpha coefficient is .89 (Yalnız et al., 2016).
Measured: average 8 months

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

1 Apr 202530 Nov 2025

First posted23 Dec 2025
Study start1 Apr 2025
Primary completion30 Jul 2025
Study completion30 Nov 2025

Resources

Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
Publications (1)Papers the sponsor has linked to this study.
Other trials for The Effect of Hugging and Praying on Traumatic Birth Perception, Pain, and AnxietyStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.

More details

For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.

Study design

Study type: Interventional
Phase: Phase N/A
Primary purpose: Supportive care
Allocation: Randomised
Intervention model: Parallel groups
Masking: None (open label)
Enrolment: 164 participants (actual)

IDs, dates and publications

ClinicalTrials.gov ID: NCT07299136
Sponsor's protocol ID: 2025/38
Status last verified: Dec 2025
First submitted: 28 Nov 2025
Last updated: 22 Apr 2026
Results posted: No
FDA-regulated drug: No
FDA-regulated device: No
Individual data sharing: No: we don't share individual participant data with other researchers

Publications

Redshaw M, Martin C, Rowe R, Hockley C. The Oxford Worries about Labour Scale: women's experience and measurement characteristics of a measure of maternal concern about labour and birth. Psychol Health Med. 2009 May;14(3):354-66. doi: 10.1080/13548500802707159.
PubMed 19444713

Study at a glance

From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 22 Apr 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.

Official title: Evaluating the Effect of Hugging and Praying on Traumatic Birth Perception, Birth Pain, and Birth Anxiety
ClinicalTrials.gov ID: NCT07299136
Acronym / sponsor ID: 2025/38
Conditions: The Effect of Hugging and Praying on Traumatic Birth Perception, Pain, and Anxiety
Keywords: birth, hugging, praying, pain, anxiety, trauma
Study type: Interventional
Recruitment status: Completed
Enrolment: 164 participants (actual)
Lead sponsor: NURTEN ÖZÇALKAPUniversity, hospital or other
Collaborators: Agri Ibrahim Cecen University
Study start: 1 Apr 2025 (actual)
Primary completion: 30 Jul 2025 (actual)
Study completion: 30 Nov 2025 (actual)
First posted: 23 Dec 2025 (actual)
Results: Not posted in the source record

Clinical summary

The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.

Detailed description

In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

When the sky is split asunder,
And obeys the command of its Lord,
When the earth is stretched out flat,
And casts forth what is within it,
And obeys the command of its Lord, every person will be confronted with what they have done! To be read together Before starting the first session, the "Information Form," "Visual Analog Scale," Traumatic Birth Perception Scale, and "Oxford Birth Anxiety Scale (Appendix 4)" will be administered. and at the end of the first, second, and fourth stages of birth, the "Visual Analog Scale," "Traumatic Birth Perception Scale," and "Oxford Birth Anxiety Scale" will be administered.

Study design

Primary purpose: Supportive care
Allocation: Randomised
Intervention model: Parallel groups
Masking: None (open label)
Number of arms: 4

Arm	Type	Receives
Group 1	Experimental	Other: Hugging group,Hugging
Group 2	Experimental	Other: Prayer groupPraying
Group 3	Experimental	Other: Hugging and Praying groupHugging and Praying
Group 4	No intervention	–CONTROL

Who may qualify

Ages: 18 years and older
Sex: Female only
Healthy volunteers: Not accepted
Age groups: Adult, Older adult

Key inclusion criteria (7 listed)

Age ≥18 years

Key exclusion criteria (6 listed)

Refusal to participate in the study
Maternal disease (heart disease, diabetes, etc.)
Having a preterm or postterm pregnancy
Undergoing an emergency cesarean section during follow-up
Having a fetal malformation (anencephaly, Down syndrome, etc.)

Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.

Interventions

Intervention	Type	Arms
Hugging group,For the hugging group, hugging sessions will be provided whenever the pregnant woman desires and during contractions, if she wishes, by a close relative (husband, mother, sister, etc.) or midwife. The pregnant woman can be hugged for as long as she wants or for 5-10 minutes.	Other	Group 1
Prayer groupFor the prayer group, whenever the pregnant woman wishes, or during contractions if she wishes, a close relative (husband, mother, sister, etc.) or midwife will recite a prayer of the pregnant woman's choice, if she has one; if she does not have a preferred prayer, the first 5 verses of Surah Al-Inshiqaq will be recited: In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful 1. When the sky is split asunder, 2. And obeys the command of its Lord, 3. When the earth is stretched out flat, 4. And casts forth what is within it, 5. And obeys the command of its Lord, every person will be confronted with what they have done! To be recited together	Other	Group 2
Hugging and Praying groupThe Hugging and Praying group will perform both hugging and praying together with the woman.	Other	Group 3

Primary outcome

Information Form
Time frame: Before starting the first session average 8 months
This form, prepared by the researcher in line with the literature, inquires about the socio-demographic characteristics of the participants.
Visual Analog Scale (VAS)
Time frame: average 8 months
It is a one-dimensional scale that objectively assesses a pregnant woman's perception of pain. It allows some values that cannot be measured numerically to be converted into numerical values. In 1921, Hayes and Peterson argued that emotional levels could be expressed on lines. The VAS was first developed and used by Bond and Pilowsky in 1966. The VAS is a 100 mm (10 cm) ruler used to quantitatively determine pain intensity, with one end representing painlessness (0 = no pain) and the other end representing the most severe pain (10 = severe pain). The patient marks any point between the two points that corresponds to the severity of their pain. The distance between the end of the scale representing painlessness and the point marked by the patient is measured with a ruler and recorded in centimeters. This numerical value indicates the pregnant woman's pain intensity. 0 cm = No pain, 0.53 cm = Mild pain, 3.5-6.5 = Moderate (Ergin, 2013; Aslan, 2006; Mucuk, 2009).
Traumatic Birth Perception Scale
Time frame: average 8 months
TThe Traumatic Birth Perception Scale (TBRS), developed by Yalnız et al. in 2016, is a thirteen-item, unidimensional Likert-type separation scale (Yalnız et al., 2016). Scores range from 0 to 10 for all items not requiring reverse scoring. The minimum scale score is 0 and the maximum is 130. The total scale score ranges from 0 to 26, indicating very low levels of perception of traumatic birth; 27 to 52, indicating low levels; 53 to 78, indicating moderate levels; 79 to 104, indicating high levels; and 105 to 130, indicating very high levels of perception of traumatic birth. The scale's Cronbach's alpha coefficient is .89 (Yalnız et al., 2016).

Results and safety

The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.

Research links

Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 22 Apr 2026.
Results publication: PubMed 19444713Redshaw M, Martin C, Rowe R, Hockley C. The Oxford Worries about Labour Scale: women's experience and measurement characteristics of a measure of maternal concern about labour and birth. Psychol Health Med. 2009 May;14(3):354-66. doi: 10.1080/13548500802707159.
Individual participant dataSharing planned: No. we don't share individual participant data with other researchers

Referral and contact

AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.

Nurten Özçalkap principal investigator

AĞRI İBRAHİM ÇEÇEN UNIVERSTY

SİBEL YÜCETÜRK, Asist. Prof. study chair

SİNOP UNIVERSTY

AYŞE Çuvadar, Assot Prof. study director

KARABUK UNIVERTY

1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.

Who may be eligible to take part?

The sponsor lists 7 inclusion and 6 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.

Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?

The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 22 Apr 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

Where is the study taking place?

The record lists 1 site in Turkey (Türkiye). Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.

What are the possible benefits and risks?

They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.

Are results available for this study?

The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.

How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?

The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

Information Form (time frame: Before starting the first session average 8 months). The study lists 3 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?

On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT07299136, which also lists 1 linked publication.

Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?

No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.

How often is this information updated?

AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 22 Apr 2026.