Article Critique

Running head: ANTENATAL MUSIC 1

Effects of Music During Antenatal Testing

Susan Spockler

Jacksonville University

December 13, 2013

ANTENATAL MUSIC 2

Effects of Music During Antenatal Testing

Music can be used in a variety of ways to enhance and improve the care of antepartum

patients. Music is considered a complementary and alternative type of therapy. Kafali, Derbent,

Keskin, Simavli, and Gozdemir, (2011) looked at the effect music can have in decreasing anxiety

in pregnant women scheduled for a non-stress tests in the doctor’s office. The authors of this

article are affiliated with the department of Obstetrics and Gynecology from Faith University

Medical School in Ankara, Turkey.

This randomized study looked at a convenience sample of 201 pregnant women who

were scheduled non-stress testing at a Turkish prenatal clinic. There were two groups evaluated

in the study: the control group, which consisted of 105 women, and the experimental group,

which consisted of 96 women. The control group did not listen to music prior to having their

non-stress test performed. The experimental group listened to music before their non-stress test

began. Prior to the non-stress test, the participants’ anxiety levels were scored and evaluated.

Researchers attempted to control multiple extraneous factors including nutritional intake,

environmental noise, and interaction with clinic staff which may have affected maternal stress

levels. Following the non-stress test, anxiety levels for both control and experimental groups

were then re-evaluated.

The results of the study show that the anxiety level of the experiment group that listened

to music prior to the non-stress test was much lower than that of the control group, who did not

listen to any music prior to the non-stress test. The results from this study are applicable to

nursing practice because they show that music can have a positive effect in reducing stress in

pregnant women when having a test performed, such as the non-stress test. Music is easily

accessible and an affordable, easy way to help ease the anxiety of the antepartum women.

Comment [a1]: 4E

Comment [a2]: What data was gathered? How was it gathered? How was participant stress

measured? Biometric: B/P, pulse, blood cortisol??

Or psychometric with known surveys,

questionnaires, interviews? ?More specificity need here.

Comment [a3]: Are women stressed by having testing? Make the link between these two concepts.

ARTICLE REVIEW 3

Nurses have the ability to play a variety of music for their patients. Playing music is a simple

intervention can safely implement in their plan of care for patients (Kafali, et al., 2011).

ARTICLE REVIEW 4

References

Kafali, H., Derbent, A., Keskin, E., Simavli, S., & Gozdemir, E. (2011). Effect of maternal

anxiety and music on fetal movements and fetal heart rate patterns. Journal of Maternal-

Fetal & Neonatal Medicine, 24(3), 461-464. doi:10.3109/14767058.2010.501122

Susie, A nice, tight review. You included most of the elements required but did not address data

collection as much as I expected to see.

A very interesting article too. Thanks for sharing.