This study examined the effects of husband's supportive behavior reinforcement education on stress relief of primigravidas. The purpose was to reinforce husbands’ supportive behavior and relieve primigravidas’ stress.

The purposes of this study were to determine factors influencing Primigravidas∗ stress and the effect of husbands’ supportive behavior reinforcement education on stress relief of primigravidas.

The subjects, consisting of 140 primigravidas who registered or visited in three obstetrics and gynecology clinics in J city, were divided into at random experimental and control groups. Data were collectpe from April To July, 1984 through interviews during hospital visits, and by questionaires.

The husbands’ supportive behavior reinforcement education and the measurement tools were developed by the investigator from the literature and during pilot study: the instruments to measure primigravidas∗ stress and husbands’ supportive behavior were tested for reliability and validity.

Personality characteristisc were measured by Chestnuts’ Stress Management instrument. T-test, ANO- VA, ω²、and Pearson. Correlation were used in analyzing the data to confirm the intensity of the influence and the relation between general characteristics and primigravidas’ stress. Pearson correlation and Stepwise Multiple Regression were used to confirm the predictors of primigravidas’ stress. Independent variables were compared by means of t-test and x^s- test to confirm significant discrepancy of experimental and control groups. T-test, paired t-test, pearson correlation were used in analyzing the data to confirm the effect of husband's supportive behavior reinforcement education on stress relief of primigravidas.

The results of the study are summarized.

Results from analyzing the effect of husbands’ supportive behavior reinforcement education: There was no significant difference between the general characteristics of the experimental and control groups. And husbands∗ supportive behavior, personality, marital Satisfaction, natural abortion variables influenced at primigravidas’ stress.

A hypothetical test by comparative analysis of the measurement of primigravidas’ stress and husbands’ support behavior between the experimental and the control group before and after the experiment to confirm the effect of husbands’ supportive behavior reinforcement education resulted in the following:

The first hypothesis that husbands’ supportive behavior reinforcement education will increase husbands’ support behavior to relieve primigravidas’ stress was supported.

The second hypothesis that husbands’ supportive behavior reinforcement education will relieve primigravidas¹ stress was supported. As a result, it was shown that husbands’ supportive behavior reinforcement education relieved primigravidas’ stress, and the hypotheses were supported.

The third hypothesis that the higher the degree of husbands’ supportive behavior, the lower the primi- gravidas’ stress was supported.

It was concluded that husbands’ supportive behavior reinforcemen education increase husbands’ supportive behavior and relieves Primigravidas’ stress.