The Effect of Rebozo Massage on Birth Pain, Anxiety, and Childbirth Experience in the Intrapartum Period: A Randomized Controlled Trial in Türkiye

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Turan Z., YAĞMUR Y.

Journal of Transcultural Nursing, vol.37, no.1, pp.137-147, 2026 (SCI-Expanded, SSCI, Scopus) identifier identifier

  • Publication Type: Article / Article
  • Volume: 37 Issue: 1
  • Publication Date: 2026
  • Doi Number: 10.1177/10436596251366932
  • Journal Name: Journal of Transcultural Nursing
  • Journal Indexes: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI), Scopus, Academic Search Premier, CINAHL, MEDLINE, Psycinfo
  • Page Numbers: pp.137-147
  • Keywords: anxiety, birth pain, childbirth experience, primiparity, rebozo
  • Inonu University Affiliated: Yes

Abstract

Introduction: The study was conducted to determine the effect of rebozo massage on birth pain, anxiety, and childbirth experience in the intrapartum period. Method: A randomized controlled trial was conducted with 62 primiparous women (31 experimental, 31 control) at the Şanlıurfa Training and Research Hospital in Türkiye. The experimental group received rebozo massage during the latent, active, and transitional phases of childbirth, while the control group received routine hospital care. Results: Pain levels in the experimental group were significantly lower than in the control group in all phases (latent phase F = 78.875, p < .001; active phase F = 71.281, p < .001; transitional phase F = 9.978, p = .002). Discussion: These findings indicate that rebozo massage effectively reduces birth pain by promoting pelvic relaxation and rhythmic movement. Registration: The study was registered with Clinical Trials, and the registration number is NCT05583825.