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Designing and implementing an intervention to improve maternal social support in the postpartum period: A mixed study
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Foruzan Sharifipour    , Zahra Behboodi Moghadam , Zahra Abbaspoor * |
| Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery, Reproductive Health Promotion Research Center, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran , Abbaspour-z@ajums.ac.ir |
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Abstract: (29 Views) |
Background and aims: Nowadays, social support plays a crucial role in maintaining maternal health. This study aimed to design, implement, and evaluate an intervention to promote social support for mothers during the postpartum period.
Methods: This multiphase mixed-methods study consisted of three stages. First, a qualitative study was conducted using conventional content analysis to explore mothers’ perceptions and experiences of social support during the postpartum period. In the second stage, a systematic review of existing interventions to enhance maternal social support in the postpartum period was performed. Following this, a nominal group technique session was held to prioritize interventions based on their importance and feasibility, informed by the qualitative findings and systematic review results. In the third stage, a randomized clinical trial was conducted with 100 pregnant women and their spouses to assess the effectiveness of the designed intervention.
Results: The qualitative analysis identified three main categories: “support resources,” “support barriers,” and “support promotion strategies.” During the nominal group session, a group training intervention for husbands was designed based on these findings. The randomized trial showed that the intervention group had significantly higher social support scores immediately after (79.42 ± 7.15) and one month after the intervention (84.40 ± 5.91), compared to the control group scores (37.26 ± 7.99 and 37.14 ± 6.63, respectively) (p<0.001).
Conclusion: The study demonstrated that group education for spouses effectively enhances social support for postpartum mothers. Therefore, this intervention is recommended for midwives and maternal healthcare providers.
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| Keywords: social support, postpartum care, qualitative research |
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Full-Text [PDF 2081 kb]
(8 Downloads)
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Type of Study: Original |
Subject:
Sub-aquatic Medicine
Received: 2024/12/25 | Revised: 2025/02/26 | Accepted: 2025/03/17 | Published: 2025/04/5
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