# Auriculotherapy for anxiety, quality of life and fear of COVID-19 in pregnant women: a randomized clinical trial

## TL;DR

A study found auriculotherapy had similar anxiety and fear reduction effects as placebo, but improved quality of life in pregnant women.

## Contribution

Demonstrated auriculotherapy's superior impact on physical and environmental quality of life domains compared to placebo in pregnant women.

## Key findings

- Auriculotherapy showed equal anxiety and fear reduction as placebo in pregnant women.
- Intervention group had significant improvement in physical and environmental quality of life domains.
- Psychological domain improved in both groups, but social domain showed no significant change.

## Abstract

to assess the effect of auriculotherapy on anxiety, quality of life and fear of COVID-19 in pregnant women.

multicenter, single-blind, randomized clinical trial. Fifty-three pregnant women participated in intervention group and 51 in placebo group. Outcomes were measured by State Anxiety Inventory, World Health Organization Quality of Life-Bref, Fear of COVID-19 Scale and intervention assessment. Data were analyzed using Generalized Estimating Equations.

in both groups, there was reduced anxiety. In terms of quality of life, intervention group showed significant improvement in physical and environmental domains. In psychological domain, there was improvement in both groups, and in social domain, there was no significant change. Fear of COVID-19 decreased significantly in both groups.

auriculotherapy had an effect equal to that of the placebo group in reducing anxiety and fear of COVID-19, and superior effect in the quality of life physical and environmental domains. REBEC: RBR-7fsjmyc.

avaliar o efeito da auriculoterapia sobre ansiedade, qualidade de vida e medo da COVID-19 em gestantes.

ensaio clínico randomizado multicêntrico, simples-cego. Participaram 53 gestantes no grupo intervenção e 51 no placebo. Os desfechos foram mensurados pelo Inventário de Ansiedade Estado, World Health Organization Quality of Life-Bref, Escala do Medo da COVID-19 Perinatal e avaliação da intervenção. Os dados foram analisados pelo Generalized Estimating Equations.

em ambos os grupos, houve redução da ansiedade. Na qualidade de vida, o grupo intervenção apresentou melhora significativa nos domínios físico e ambiental. No domínio psicológico, houve melhora em ambos os grupos, e no domínio social, não houve alteração significativa. O medo da COVID-19 diminuiu significativamente em ambos os grupos.

a auriculoterapia apresentou efeito igual ao do grupo placebo na redução da ansiedade e no medo da COVID-19, e efeito superior nos domínios físico e ambiental da qualidade de vida. REBEC: RBR-7fsjmyc.