Background: Given the important role of spouses during pregnancy, this study aimed to determine the effect of counseling with men on stress and social support of their women (primary outcomes), anxiety, depression, weight gain, newborns' anthropometric indicators, frequency of cesarean section and preterm delivery (secondary outcomes).
Methods: 102 pregnant women were randomly assigned to two groups of counseling and control. Four sessions of counseling were held for the spouses of intervention group. Perceived Personal Resource Questionnaire-85-Part2, Perceived Stress Scale, Edinburgh's Postpartum Depression Scale, and Spielberger's State and Trait Anxiety Inventory were completed before and four weeks after intervention. The participants were followed up until delivery, and newborns' anthropometric indicators, delivery type, and preterm delivery were recorded.
Results: The mean score of social support increased significantly 4 weeks after intervention in the counseling group compared to the control group (MD:12.7; 95%CI: 18.5 to 6.9). There was no significant difference between groups in the mean score of stress, anxiety, depression, and weight gain during pregnancy at four weeks after intervention and also frequency of cesarean delivery, preterm delivery, and anthropometric indicators of newborns (p>0.05).
Conclusions: Counseling with fathers can be recommended as an effective intervention to increase social support of pregnant women.
Trial registration: IRCT2017042910324N38. Registered 25 June 2017, http://en.irct.ir/trial/10813.
Keywords: Men; anxiety; counselling; depression; pregnancy; social support; stress.