Investigating the effect of training based on Bandura's self efficacy theory on the sense of parental competence of mothers with premature infants hospitalized in the neonatal intensive care unit

Determining the effect of educational intervention based on Bandura's self efficacy theory on the sense of parental competence of mothers with premature infants hospitalized in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit(NICU)

Clinical trial with a control group, single-blind, using time blocks to prevent information transfer, randomized with Random Allocation software, on 72 participants (36 test and 36 control).

The location of the study was the neonatal intensive care unit of Shahid Sadoughi Hospital in Yazd. Individual and group training was provided using lecture, role-playing, question and answer, interactive images and dialogue methods. One-way blinding was used. The data analyst received the data in coded form, and the outcome evaluator was not involved in the implementation of the intervention and was unaware of the allocation order.

Inclusion criteria: Willingness to participate in the study, being literate, gestational age of the infant 26 to 37 weeks, no confirmed physical or mental problems, no history of having a premature infant. Inclusion criteria: Participation in another intervention program, mother being a member of the treatment team, experiencing an unfortunate accident and divorce in the past six months, physical manifestation of a congenital disease in the infant.

The control group receives only routine ward care, and the experimental group, in addition to routine care, receives an educational program based on the four components of Bandura's self efficacy theory in four consecutive sessions.

Mothers' level of parental competence

Considering the conditions of admission and obtaining informed consent from mothers whose infants are hospitalized in the neonatal intensive care unit, the researcher divides 72 mothers (36 in the intervention group and 36 in the control group) into test and control groups according to the entry and exit criteria by random allocation using random allocation software. First, the test group is sampled and then the control group is sampled. To prevent the transfer of information between the two groups, a time block is used; in this way, after sampling the test group and performing the intervention, we wait until the test group is discharged, then we perform the control group sampling.

Due to the nature of the educational intervention, complete blinding of participants is not possible. Participants are practically not blinded because they receive the educational intervention and know the difference. The researcher cannot be blinded because he or she provides the education. The clinical caregiver cannot be blinded because he or she is usually involved in routine infant care and, although he or she does not play a role in providing the education, is usually relatively aware of the mothers’ condition. However, blinding of the outcome assessor and data analyst will be done. Mothers in the intervention and control groups will not be aware of the main hypothesis of the study and the allocation method. The person responsible for the statistical analysis will receive the data coded and labeled as Group A and Group B and will not be aware of the group allocation. The outcome assessor will also not be involved in the implementation of the intervention and will be unaware of the order of allocation. The person generating the randomization sequence will not be involved in the recruitment, data collection, or analysis. This method reduces performance and assessment bias as much as possible.