<![CDATA[Background: Anxiety before childbirth is commonly experienced by primigravida women and may influence psychological readiness, confidence, and the overall childbirth experience. Anxiety management is therefore an important component of comprehensive antenatal services. Deep-breathing relaxation is a simple, non-pharmacological technique that can be taught and practiced during antenatal care. Integrating structured education into antenatal service management may provide pregnant women with practical skills to manage anxiety before childbirth. Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of structured education on deep-breathing relaxation in reducing anxiety among primigravida women approaching childbirth and to examine its potential integration into antenatal service delivery. Methods: A quasi-experimental pretest-posttest control group design was conducted involving 60 primigravida women at 36–40 weeks of gestation. Participants were divided into an intervention group and a control group. The intervention group received structured education about deep-breathing relaxation accompanied by guided practice for seven days, while the control group received routine antenatal care. Anxiety levels were assessed before and after the intervention using a standardized anxiety measurement scale. The changes in anxiety scores were subsequently compared between the two groups. Results: The mean anxiety score in the intervention group decreased from 24.6±5.1 before the intervention to 16.1±4.3 after the intervention. In the control group, the mean score decreased from 23.9±5.0 to 22.8±5.2. The difference in changes between the intervention and control groups was statistically significant (p<0.001). Conclusion: Structured deep-breathing relaxation education may reduce anxiety among primigravida women approaching childbirth. Integration of this intervention into antenatal counselling may support the management and quality of maternal health services by providing standardized education, guided practice, and supportive psychological care.]]>
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