Introduction: Educating the midwifery students to empower the parturient to cope with labor is very important. The aim of this study was designing, implementation and evaluation of educational program in continuous labor support to midwifery students according to midwifery textbooks.
Methods: This interventional study was conducted on 70 midwifery students studied in school of nursing and midwifery, Sari, Iran in 2010. Labor Support Questionnaire (LSQ) was used and completed by all of the midwifery students at onset of study and after three deliveries. Data were analyzed using Chi-square test, Kolmogorov-Smirnov, Mann-Whitney U and independent t-tests. P value less than 0.05 was considered significant.
Results: Mean score of LSQ before intervention was 63.82±14.10 in control group and 70.84±9.44 in the experimental group, and after intervention it was 59.54±19.40 in control group and 90.78±18.74 in experimental group. After intervention, mean score of LSQ increased significantly in experimental group (p<0.001). Average of before and after differences of LSQ in the physical, emotional and informational aspects was statistically significant between two groups (p<0.001) but in the advocacy aspect of parturient decision, no significant difference was found between two groups (p=0.061). Students in the control group reported more than intervention group that the lack of skills and experience as a barrier to use the support.
Conclusion: Education of continuous labor support according to midwifery textbookshad significant effects on increasing of ability and practice of midwifery students in continuous labor support.