Global Medical and Health Communication
Vol. 14 No. 2 (2026): Accredited Sinta 2

Structured Positive Affirmations and Third-trimester Pregnancy Anxiety: A Quasi-experimental Study

Lina Fitriani (Faculty of Health, Universitas Mega Buana Palopo, Palopo)
A Fatimah Jamir (Faculty of Health, Universitas Mega Buana Palopo, Palopo)
Evi Rahayu (Faculty of Health, Universitas Mega Buana Palopo, Palopo)
Supriadi Supriadi (STIKES Marendeng, Majene)
Rochmawati Rochmawati (Midwifery Professional Education Study Program, Universitas Gunadarma, Depok)



Article Info

Publish Date
31 Aug 2026

Abstract

Anxiety affects approximately 10% of third-trimester pregnant women globally and contributes to adverse maternal outcomes, including pregnancy-induced hypertension, a recognized factor in Indonesia's maternal mortality. Positive affirmations represent an accessible non-pharmacological intervention combining cognitive restructuring with relaxation techniques. This research aimed to determine the effectiveness of structured positive affirmation interventions in reducing anxiety levels among third-trimester pregnant women at the UPTD Salugatta Health Center in Central Mamuju Regency in 2025. A quasi-experimental one-group pretest-posttest design enrolled 60 third-trimester pregnant women through purposive sampling between January and June 2025. Participants received standardized positive affirmations delivered four times daily over seven consecutive days. Anxiety levels were measured using the validated Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale before and after intervention. Data were analyzed using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test and multiple linear regression (α=0.05, 95% CI). Mean anxiety scores decreased significantly from 20.23±6.21 to 15.47±4.29, representing a 4.76-point reduction (95% CI=3.82–5.70; p<0.001, Cohen's d=0.89). Non-anxious participants increased from 0% to 67%, while severe anxiety was eliminated. Multivariate analysis revealed primigravida status (β=0.42, p<0.001), younger age (β=0.28, p=0.021), and higher education (β=0.24, p=0.032) as significant predictors of greater anxiety reduction, with the model explaining 52.4% of variance. In conclusion, in this single-group study, structured positive affirmation interventions were associated with a significant reduction in third-trimester pregnancy anxiety and a large effect size, supporting further evaluation—ideally with a controlled design—for integration into routine antenatal care.

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Journal Info

Abbrev

gmhc

Publisher

Subject

Description

Global Medical and Health Communication is a journal that publishes research articles on medical and health published every 4 (four) months (April, August, and December). Articles are original research that needs to be disseminated and written in English. Subjects suitable for publication include ...