Effects of Abdominal Breathing on Anxiety, Blood Pressure, Peripheral Skin Temperature and Saturation Oxygen of Pregnant Women in Preterm Labor

Chang, Soon Bok; Kim, Hee Sook; Ko, Yun Hee; Bae, Choon Hee; An, Sung Eun

doi:2009.15.1.32

Korean J Women Health Nurs > Volume 15(1); 2009 > Article

Original Article

Korean Journal of Women Health Nursing 2009;15(1):32-42.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.4069/kjwhn.2009.15.1.32

Effects of Abdominal Breathing on Anxiety, Blood Pressure, Peripheral Skin Temperature and Saturation Oxygen of Pregnant Women in Preterm Labor

Soon Bok Chang, Hee Sook Kim, Yun Hee Ko, Choon Hee Bae, Sung Eun An

¹College of Nursing, Yonsei University; Nursing Policy Research Institute, Seoul, Korea.
²Nursing Policy Research Institute; Doctoral Student, College of Nursing, Yonsei University, Seoul, Korea. kimhs02041@hotmail.com
³Doctoral Student, College of Nursing, Yonsei University, Seoul, Korea.
⁴College of Nursing, Yonsei University, Seoul, Korea.
⁵Yonsei University Health System, Seoul, Korea.

Abstract

PURPOSE
This study was done to examine the effects of abdominal breathing on VAS-Anxiety (VAS-A), blood pressure, peripheral skin temperature and saturation oxygen in pregnant women in preterm labor.
METHODS
The study design was a matched control group interrupted time series. Forty-six women matched to gestational age were assigned to either the experimental group (26) or control group (20). Data were collected between March 2007 and May 2008. For the experimental treatment the women performed abdominal breathing 30 times, which took 5 minutes, and did one set of 5-minute abdominal breathing daily for three days. Data collection was done before and after the abdominal breathing to measure VAS-A, blood pressure, peripheral skin temperature and oxygen saturation. Descriptive, chi-square, Mann-Whitney U tests were used to analyze the data with the SPSS/PC+Win 15.0 program.
RESULTS
For the experimental group there were significant decreases in VAS-A (Z=-4.37, p=.00), systolic blood pressure (Z=-3.38, p=.00), and an increase in skin temperature (Z=-4.50, p=.00) and oxygen saturation (Z=-3.66, p=.00).
CONCLUSION
These findings suggest that abdominal breathing in pregnant women in preterm labor results in decreases in anxiety(VAS-A) including biological evidences such as systolic blood pressure, and increases in peripheral skin temperature and oxygen saturation. Further longitudinal study is needed on the lasting effects and obstetric and neonatal outcomes following abdominal breathing.

Key Words: Abdominal breathing; Preterm labor; Anxiety; Blood Pressure; Saturation Oxygen