Postpartum Maternal Self-Care and Perceived Family Support Among Mothers in a SubPopulation
Year: 2026
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: Background: Maternal recovery and the newborn’s healthy development are paramount for mothers’ physical and mental well-being in the first 6 weeks after birth. The study aimed to assess reported postpartum self-care practices, family support received, and the barriers to practising postpartum self-care among postpartum mothers in Mother and Child Hospital, Akure, Ondo State, Nigeria. Methods: The study adopted a descriptive cross-sectional research design. A total of 316 postpartum women from October 2020 to February 2021 were selected for the study. Data were collected using paper-based questionnaires and analysed with the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS), version 23, with descriptive and inferential statistics. Results: Study findings showed that 68% of the post-partum women had good self-care practices in the physical, emotional, and spiritual self-care domains. The majority (82%) received assistance during the post-partum period for maternal and newborn care. A few (25%) identified financial, cultural, and religious beliefs as barriers to effective post-partum maternal self-care. Conclusions: This study concluded that most postpartum women studied had good maternal selfcare practice, good family post-partum self-care support, and a few had barriers to effective postpartum maternal care. This finding implies that community health nurses should strengthen familycentred postpartum care by reinforcing existing maternal self-care practices while proactively identifying and addressing barriers among women at risk of inadequate postpartum care.
Source: Yemen Journal of Medicine
Subfield: General Health Professions
Field: Health Professions
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: bronze
OpenAlex ID: W7127039349
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