THE EFFECT OF PRENATAL EXERCISE ON REDUCING BACK PAIN AND ANXIETY BEFORE CHILDBIRTH AMONG THIRD-TRIMESTER PREGNANT WOMEN AT EDELWEISS HOSPITAL CIANJUR

Pregnancy-related back pain and anxiety may affect maternal well-being before childbirth. This study investigated changes following prenatal exercise among 15 third-trimester women at Edelweiss Hospital Cianjur. A one-group pretest–posttest design was applied, comprising four exercise sessions over two weeks. Pain and anxiety were measured using the Numeric Rating Scale and Zung Self-Rating Anxiety Scale, respectively. Paired t-tests assessed differences between measurements. Most participants were aged 20–35 years (80%), multigravida (60%), and new to prenatal exercise (73.3%). Initially, moderate pain affected 66.7%, while moderate anxiety affected 60%. Following exercise, mild pain and anxiety predominated (66.7% and 80%, respectively). Mean scores decreased from 5.40 to 2.67 for pain and 52.13 to 38.93 for anxiety (both p < 0.001). These findings support further evaluation of prenatal exercise in antenatal care.