The effect of accompaniment during labor on anxiety and cortisol levels: a cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND: Emotional support and the presence of relatives or family in the delivery room are established methods to reduce anxiety during labor. The aim of the study was to evaluate the effect of the accompanying person (biological mother or husband) on anxiety and cortisol levels in primigravida during labor.METHODS: The study was conducted from January to May 2023 at Khadijah Mother and Child Hospital, Makassar using a cross-sectional design through consecutive sampling of laboring women during the active phase. The participants were divided into two groups, those accompanied by husband group and biological mother group. All participants underwent venous blood sampling after receiving a minimum of 4 hours of accompanying. Anxiety levels were measured using the Labor Anxiety Questionnaire (Kwestionariusz Lęku Porodowego-II, KLP-II), and cortisol levels were measured using the ELISA Bioassay.RESULTS: A total of 160 participants, with a mean age 24.22±4.2 years were enrolled in the study. A significant difference in anxiety levels was observed between the two groups (P<0.05). Cortisol levels in the group of husbands were lower than those in the group accompanied by mothers (52.10±1.41 vs. 58.93±1.13), as was the anxiety score measured by the KLP-II (15.1±0.17 vs. 16.1±0.19). The level of anxiety had no effect on cortisol levels.CONCLUSIONS: The cortisol levels and anxiety levels of laboring mothers accompanied by their husbands were lower than those accompanied by their biological mothers. Cortisol levels do not affect anxiety levels. Further research is needed with a larger sample size to confirm it.