I. Research Methods A prospective randomized controlled trial design will be used. Eligible elective cesarean patients will be randomly assigned to an experimental group (preoperative education + intraoperative music therapy) or a control group (routine preoperative education only).
1. Preoperative Health Education Conducted by dedicated nurses 1 day before surgery, covering surgical procedures, precautions, anesthesia, and postoperative recovery.
2. Intraoperative Music Therapy Experimental group: Headphones fitted 1 hour preoperatively at 45-55 decibels, playing personalized or pre-screened music continuously during surgery and for 30 minutes postoperatively.
Intervention timing: Headphone adaptation and volume adjustment 1 hour preoperatively; continuous playback during surgery; 30-minute playback postoperatively to reduce anxiety and discomfort.
Executors: Preoperative education by specialized nurses; music therapy by trained operating room nurses to ensure equipment and volume stability.
3. Data Collection
Assessments at specified time points using standardized tools:
Anxiety: GAD-7 scale (preoperative, 6h, 12h, 24h postoperatively). Pain: VAS scale (preoperative, 6h, 12h, 24h postoperatively). Shivering index: Cold Shivering Index Scale (preoperative, before headphone use, at discharge from the operating room).
Postoperative complications: Wound infection, urinary retention, hemorrhage, heart failure, or pulmonary embolism.
Recovery indicators: Ambulation time, anal exhaust time, lactation time, hospital stay.
Satisfaction surveys: Nursing and anesthesia satisfaction via questionnaires 24h postoperatively.
4. Study Population
Inclusion criteria:
18-40 years old, singleton pregnancy, eligible for elective cesarean section. No severe pregnancy complications (e.g., preeclampsia, gestational diabetes). Able to provide informed consent and complete follow-ups.
Exclusion criteria:
Complications or diseases affecting study outcomes. Severe mental illness preventing protocol understanding. Refusal to participate or incomplete follow-ups. Allergy to music/headphones. II. Technical Route Literature review \& protocol design: Develop the study plan and obtain ethical approval.
Patient recruitment \& randomization: Enroll patients per criteria; use random number tables for grouping.
Intervention \& data recording: Standardized interventions by the research team; regular data verification.
Data analysis \& reporting: Statistical analysis to compare group differences; summarize findings and draft reports.
III. Feasibility Analysis Sample size: Estimated 64 patients per group (140 total, including 10% dropout rate) based on anxiety score differences and literature.
Ethical feasibility: Informed consent obtained; complies with ethical review requirements.
Technical feasibility: Hospital equipped with nursing tools (headphones, assessment scales) and a skilled team.
Resource feasibility: Reasonable budget and 10-month timeline ensure timely data collection, analysis, and reporting.
