Design and participants
The study was a pre–post experimental design with a control
group and was conducted during October 2012–January
2013. The participants were 230 volunteer pregnant women
attending health service centres of Gonabad city in east north
of Iran. The participants were randomly divided into control
and case groups. Study inclusion criteria were gestational age
of 28–30 weeks, literacy, no history of depression or psychological
disorders, healthy foetus confirmed by ultrasound and
residence in Gonabad. Exclusion criteria were incomplete
each of the questionnaires that could not be summed up andanalysed, declining to participate, preterm birth during intervention,
severe physical–psychological stress (e.g. hospitalisation,
undergoing surgery, death of relatives, serious physical
and psychological problems) during the last year.