Yasuko Tamura

Hyogo Medical University, Japan

Abstract Title: Comparison of Moroccan Midwifery Students' Attitudes Toward Labor Pain Relief Care Before and After Education Program

Biography:

Yasuko Tamura has completed her PhD from University of Hyogo, Japan. She is the professor of Midwifery & Maternal Nursing at Hyogo Medical University, School of Nursing. Her research focuses particularly on the transfer of midwifery techniques for pain relief during labor, disaster preparedness, and breastfeeding support for women who are HTLV-1 carriers. She has experience working as an expert on an international cooperation project to improve the quality of maternal and child health care in Morocco. She enjoys taking early morning walks along the river near her home while gazing at Mount Rokk?, Kobe.

Research Interest:

Background: It is important for childbirth to be a positive experience for women (WHO, 2018). Labor pain is intense, yet it is also a product of physiological endocrine mechanisms. Women can work with labor pain, and midwives are key supporters in this process. In Morocco, pain relief care during labor is not included in midwives' basic education. Midwifery educators from Japan and Morocco collaborated to develop an educational model.

Objective: To provide education on labor pain relief care to midwifery students, compare changes in their attitudes towards the care before and after the education, and clarify the educational effects.

Methods: A lecture and practical training session on labor pain mechanisms and care techniques was conducted for midwifery students in Morocco from February 2022 to December 2023. Participants were asked to complete an online survey using the Labor Pain Management Attitude Scale (53 items, 5-point Likert scale, α = 0.885). The study was conducted with the approval of the Ethics Review Committee of Hyogo Medical University.

Results: A total of 38 students who responded before and after the education program were analyzed (9 students in the first session, 12 in the second, and 17 in the third). Regarding Attitude Scale scores, significant increases were observed in the overall group (p = .004), the first session (p = .04), and the third session (p = .04). Scale items related to "Pain relief during labor is important and something to be positive about" and "Pain during labor can be managed and alleviated" showed particularly significant increases after the education.