The Effectiveness of Individual and Group Health Counseling on Knowledge and Attitude of Birth Method and Reduction ofCesarean Section in First Pregnant Women: A Comparative Randomized Controlled Trial

This study aimed to compare the effects of the group and individual healthcounseling on knowledge attitude and mode of delivery in pregnant women.This study was a Comparative randomized controlled trial. At first multistagessampling method was used based on the study objectives and then theparticipants were randomly assigned to three groups namely the group andindividual counseling and control group. Demographic characteristics knowledgeand attitude questionnaires were used for data collection. Data were analyzedthrough SPSS ۲۲ using One-Sample Kolmogorov-Smirnov Test chi-square ANOVAMcNemar and t-tests. The P value less than ۰.۰۵ were considered significant.";"Allthe participants (۱۰۰%) in the individual counseling group and ۹۲% in the groupcounseling and ۱۲% in the control group changed their selected birth method tovaginal delivery after the consultation. The mean scores of women’s knowledgein the individual and group counseling groups and control group before theconsultation were ۵۱.۸۴ ۵۱.۵۲ and ۴۸.۴۰ respectively. However at the end ofthe counseling sessions they were changed to ۹۶.۶۴ ۹۰.۴۸ and ۵۷.۴۴ respectively(P <۰.۰۰۱). The attitude mean scores for the individual and group counselinggroups and control group were also ۵۸.۷۵ ۶۱.۴۳ and ۵۸.۴۳ respectively beforethe counseling sessions. These mean scores changed to ۸۵.۰۶ ۸۰.۱۸ and ۵۱.۷۰after the counseling sessions (P <۰.۰۰۱). The individual as well as the group healthcounseling sessions increased the knowledge and attitude of pregnant womento the normal vaginal delivery. This in turn helped women make an informeddecision for their birth method.