Zekiye Karacam
Adnan Menderes University, Turkey
Title: Relationship between the mother's self-care power and postpartum fatigue
Biography
Biography: Zekiye Karacam
Abstract
The aim of the study was to determine the relationship between self-care power of women and postpartum fatigue in the postpartum second month. This is a cross-sectional study and included 313 women determined with convenience sampling method in postpartum second month. Research data were collected with a questionnaire including questions about demographics and independent variables tested, Visual Analog Scale for Fatigue, Self- Care Power Scale, Edinburgh Postpartum Depression Scale and the Multidimensional Perceived Social Support Scale. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, ANOVA, t-test, Mann Whitney U, Kruskal-Wallis, correlation and multiple regression analysis. The mean age of the women included in the study was 25.36 ± years (standard deviation=3.67, range: 18-35). Of all women, 57.6% were primary school and secondary school graduates, %77.3 were housewives, 12.5% had large family, 31.0% had health insurance and 52.1% had low income levels. Negative correlation was between the fatigue subscale of visual analog scale scores and self-care power scale (r=-0.183, p<0.001), the multidimensional perceived social support scale (r=-0.131, p<0.05) and the energy subscale of visual analog scale for fatigue (r=-0.318, p<0.001), and positive correlation was between the fatigue subscale of visual analog scale for fatigue and Edinburgh postpartum depression scale (r=-0.173, p<0.001). Stepwise multiple regression analyses, performed to determine factors associated with fatigue and energy symptom scores, revealed two statistically significant variables which increased the strength of the model. These variables were being a secondary school graduate of husbant for fatigue and having high income levels. It could contribute to the improvement the self-care power of women in the postpartum period and to the development of the baby's and mother’s health, increasing social supports including especially spousal support and improving the coping with depressive symptoms.