The Effect of Back Massage on Anxiety Components of Mothers With Preterm Infants

Introduction: Upon hospitalization of a premature infant immediately after giving birth, mothers would experience high levels of anxiety. One of the essential non-pharmacological interventions to control the anxiety is massage. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of massage on the anxiety of mothers with preterm infants.                                                                                                                       Materials and Methods: In this experimental research, 140 samples were selected based on inclusion criteria using a convenience sampling method and then put in two groups of back massage and one control group. The tools for collecting the data were demographic questionnaire and Lehrer & Woolfolk's somatic, cognitive, and behavioral anxiety inventory. The data were analyzed using descriptive (Mean SD) and inferential statistics tests (Chi-square, independent t-test, paired t-test, Fisher, and covariance analysis) by SPSS software v. 13.   Results: The mean scores of somatic, cognitive, and behavioral anxiety components showed significant differences before and after the intervention in the massage group (P<0.05). There was also a significant difference between the mean anxiety after the intervention (P<0.05). Conclusion: The obtained results indicate that the back massage method is effective in reducing the components of somatic, cognitive, and behavioral anxiety. Hence, this method may be utilized to reduce the anxiety of mothers with premature infants.