Effectiveness of an Educational Program on Enhance Fear of Childbirth among Pregnant Women in Mosul City

Background: Fear of childbirth is a common concern among pregnant women, potentially affecting their mental and physical well-being as well as their birthing experience. This study aims to identify the effect of educational program on enhancing fear from childbirth in Mosul city.

Methodology: using a quasi-experimental study design, was conducted primary health care centers in Mosul city for the period from 15th October 2024 to 15th January 2025.the study sample consist of  83 pregnant women were choosing purposively. The tool was used for data collection consisting of three parts: pregnant women socio-demographic characteristics, pregnant women knowledge about fear of childbirth, self-efficacy related to childbirth.                  The intervention for the study group involved a lecture about fear of childbirth. The data were analyzed by using SPSS, version26 using descriptive statistics and inferential statistics.

Results: The study showed no significant baseline differences in fear-related variables between the study and control groups in pre- test (p > 0.05), indicating initial group equivalence. Post-intervention (Post1 and Post2), the study group exhibited significantly reduced fear scores across all domains (p < 0.01), The educational program demonstrated moderate to good effect sizes across all fear subscales, with the highest impact seen in reducing fear of pain (E.S = 0.64) and fear of body damage (E.S = 0.62).

Conclusion: The educational intervention significantly reduced childbirth-related fears and enhanced self-efficacy among pregnant women. These findings support the value of prenatal education in promoting maternal psychological well-being and birth preparedness.