• Women's Health Nursing
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.15-22
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• 2004

Purpose: This study was to examine the effect of postpartum exercise on mental health. Mental health comprises a 9 symptom dimension of Somatization, Obsessive-Compulsive, Interpersonal Sensitivity, Depression, Anxiety, Hostility, Phobic anxiety, Paranoid Ideation, and Psychoticism. Method: A non-equivalent pre-test, post-test control group study was conducted. Fifty-two puerperal women who were admitted to a postpartum ward of a mother-baby clinic in Pusan were recruited; 26 women were assigned to the experimental group and 26 women to the control group. Postpartum exercise was applied to the experimental group from postpartum day 3 for a period of 8 weeks while no exercise program was applied to the control group. Mental health with SCL-90-R was measured before and after exercise. Data was analyzed using mean, $x^2$-test, t-test, and ANOVA by SPSS 10.0. Result: The mental health status in the exercise group did not show a statistically significant decrease when compared to that of the control group. Conclusion: There is no effect of postpartum exercise on women's mental health during the first 8 weeks of the postpartum period. Further studies are needed for randomized clinical trials with a larger sample size.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.41 no.3
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• pp.32-54
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• 2020

Objectives: The purpose of this scoping review is to describe the research trends of postpartum healthcare for postpartum women, as well as to identify further direction for research in the area of postpartum healthcare. Methods: This study was conducted sequentially according to the Scoping Review Method referred to as 'frameworks of Arskey and O'Malley'. We searched for articles published as of May 15th, 2020 in seven Korean databases in order to obtain the data. A key term search strategy was employed, including terms such as "Postpartum period care", "Postpartum health", "Postpartum care", and "Postpartum status" to identify relevant studies. Results: Eighty-three articles were selected from a total of 259. The research has been undertaken steadily since 1997, particularly in the fields of Nursing and Korean medicine. In terms of study design, survey studies were the majority (48.2%), followed by interventions and experimental papers (32.5%). However, qualitative research areas are lacking. The research topics were largely divided into two categories: postpartum care characteristics and postpartum care interventions. The characteristics of postpartum care were highly connected with care for mental health. Among the postpartum care interventions, the most common employed was Korean medicine intervention. Conclusion: This study confirms that management of mental health during the postpartum period is necessary. In addition, it is necessary to identify the experiences of postpartum women and the effectiveness of a postpartum care intervention program through the utilization of qualitative research methods. In particular, such research is needed in the field of Korean medicine.

• Korean Parent-Child Health Journal
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.45-54
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• 2011

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of music therapy on postpartum stress and maternal attachment of puerperal women. Methods: The participants were puerperal women who agreed to participate in this study and through a convenience sampling, 84 puerperal women were recruited (40 in the experimental group, 44 in the control group). After measuring postpartum stress and maternal attachment, music therapy was provided to the experimental group over 60min, three times a week, and for 2 weeks. Then, postpartum stress and maternal attachment for the experimental and control group were measured again before discharge. The data were analyzed using the SPSS/WIN 14.0 program. Results: The first hypothesis that "the degree of postpartum stress for the experimental group who participated in music therapy would be lower than that of the control group" was accepted. The second hypothesis that "the degree of maternal attachment the experimental group who participated in music therapy would be higher than that of the control group" was accepted. Conclusion: These findings indicate that music therapy has positive influences on decreasing postpartum stress and increasing maternal attachment of puerperal women.

• Korean Parent-Child Health Journal
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.28-38
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• 2018

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the trends of research on postpartum anger experienced by women after childbirth, through a narrative review. Methods: Articles published from 2008 to 2018 were searched in seven electronic databases using combinations of the terms 'anger', 'angry', 'aggress*', and 'postpartum'. Results: Ultimately seven studies were selected and analyzed. Six of the quantitative studies and one qualitative study were included and postpartum anger or anger was found to be measured in all six quantitative studies. Postpartum anger was influenced by hostility during pregnancy and women's dependence and self-criticism of women after childbirth. Attachment with parents in the past and affection between married couples in the present influenced the expression and management of anger. Conclusion: The results indicated that postpartum anger was influenced by internal and external factors such as the individual characteristics of women, past experiences, current marital relations and social support. However, there was no study focusing on postpartum anger and related factors in domestic context. Thus, we suggest future studys which clarify the concept of postpartum anger and its measurement so that awareness of postpartum anger can be improved and mediation could be developed.

• Korean Journal of Adult Nursing
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.670-681
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• 2007

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify the influencing factors on postpartum fatigue in the parturient women. Methods: The data were collected from July to September, 2006 using self-report questionnaires. The sample was 143 healthy parturient women who visited the outpatient clinic at 2 hospitals for a routine follow up after childbirth. The data were analyzed by using SPSS 12.0 Win program. Results: There were significant differences in the postpartum fatigue by age, religion, sleep hour, and complaint of perceived health problem. The postpartum fatigue were significantly correlated with infant care stress(p<0.001), sleep satisfaction(p<0.001), and feeding difficulty(p=0.016). The multiple regression analysis showed that the postpartum fatigue were significantly predicted by the infant care stress, sleep satisfaction and complaint of perceived health problem. These variables explained 31.8% of the variance of postpartum fatigue. The infant care stress was the main predictor of postpartum fatigue. Conclusions: It could be concluded that the nursing intervention for reducing the infant care stress should be developed to manage the postpartum fatigue for parturient women. Prospective studies are needed to be conducted to verify the causal relationship between infant care stress and postpartum fatigue.

• Women's Health Nursing
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.46-55
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• 2022

Purpose: This study aimed to determine the level of postpartum posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and postpartum depression (PPD) in Korean mothers with healthy babies and to explore the factors related to postpartum PTSD. Methods: This study used a longitudinal survey design to explore the levels and association of PPD and PTSD. Two hundred women were recruited during pregnancy and the data were collected via online survey from 166 mothers (84% retained) who gave birth to healthy babies, at two postpartum periods: Fear of childbirth was assessed at the 1st week; and spousal support, PPD, and postpartum PTSD were surveyed at the 4th week postpartum. Descriptive statistics, t-test, one-way analysis of variance, Chi square test, and multiple regression were done. Results: The mean age of mothers was 33.12 (±3.97) years old. Postpartum PTSD was low (8.95±6.49) with 1.8% (n=3) at risk (≥19). PPD was also low (6.68±5.28) and 30.1% (n=50) were identified at risk (≥10). The comorbid rate of PPD with PTSD was 6%. Mothers who did not have a planned pregnancy had higher scores of PPD (t=-2.78, p=.008), whereas spousal support and PPD had negative relationship (r=-.21, p=.006). The overall explanatory power for postpartum PTSD was 55.2%, of which PPD was the only significant variable (β=. 76, t=13.76, p<.001). Conclusion: While only 1.8% was at risk of postpartum PTSD at 4 weeks postpartum, PPD prevalence was 30.1% and PPD was the only influential factor of postpartum PTSD. Assessment and counseling of PPD are required as well as screening for postpartum PTSD. More research is also needed on postpartum PTSD in Korean women.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.13 no.6
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• pp.535-542
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• 2019

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Proper nutrition intake during pregnancy and lactation is very important to both mothers and babies. Pregnant women should maintain proper nutritional status to restore decreased physical strength due to pregnancy and childbirth and produce breastmilk for the growth and development of the baby. Recently, the number of Chinese people living in Korea has increased as the exchange between Korea and China becomes active. It is important to provide proper nutrition education for pregnant women of both countries considering cultural differences. SUBJECTS/METHODS: The subjects of this study were postpartum women in Gyeonggi, South Korea and Jinhua, China. The subjects were 20-45 years old less than six months after childbirth. A survey, using self-administered questionnaires, was conducted from October 2018 to January 2019. For data analysis, 221 Korean postpartum women (KPW) and 221 Chinese postpartum women (CPW) questionnaires were used. RESULTS: KPW had significantly higher nutritional knowledge score and dietary attitude score than CPW (P < 0.001). However, overall score for dietary habits was significantly higher in CPW compared to KPW (P < 0.001). In KPW, nutritional knowledge (P < 0.01) and dietary attitude (P < 0.001) had significantly positive correlations with dietary habits. The proportions of KPW and CPW who answered that they had experience of nutrition education were 28.5% and 80.1% (P < 0.001). The score for dietary habits was lower as the hours for watching TV and using mobile phone became longer in postpartum women of both countries, with significant differences in KPW (P < 0.001) and CPW (P < 0.05). In KPW, the score for dietary habits in postpartum women with exercise experience was significantly higher than that in postpartum women without exercise experience (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: More pregnancy-related nutrition education should be provided and various and effective nutrition education programs, which not only transfer information but can be practiced in the actual life, should be developed.

• The Journal of Korean Obstetrics and Gynecology
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.79-96
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• 2018

Objectives: The objective of this study was to survey the performance of postpartum care and compare the western medicine and Korean medicine according to women's postpartum disease. The purpose of this study was to provide basic data for the prevention and management of postpartum disease. Methods: The subjects were 228 women who experienced postpartum disease. This research was conducted in G city, at outpatient department of western medicine hospital and Korean medicine hospital. The degree of performance of postpartum care was measured on a 4-point scale divided by each area, and was compared in three groups. Results: Postpartum care includes traditional postpartum care and postpartum care in hospitals. The degree of performance of postpartum care means that the higher the score, the better. The traditional postpartum care performance score was 2.35 and the postpartum care performance score at the hospital was 1.63. The results of this study showed that the performance of traditional postpartum care was higher than that of postpartum care administered in hospitals. The perception of traditional postpartum care methods was 'An indispensable postpartum care method for health' (75.9%). The most effective method of postpartum care was 'consolidate in harmony traditional postpartum care and guidance of the medical team' (88.2%). Conclusions: The improvement and satisfaction degree of postpartum care were higher in Korean medicine than in western treatments. Therefore, the most efficient method of postpartum care must be integrated in harmony with the direction of the medical staff and traditional methods of postpartum care.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.40 no.1
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• pp.60-68
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• 2010

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of music therapy on postpartum blues and maternal attachment of puerperal women. Methods: The research design was a nonequivalent control group non-synchronized design. The participants were puerperal women who agreed to participate in this study and through a convenience sampling, 60 puerperal women were recruited (30 in the experimental group, 30 in the control group). After measuring postpartum blues and maternal attachment, music therapy was provided to the experimental group over 40 min, once a day, and for 8 days. Then, postpartum blues and maternal attachment for the experimental and control group were measured again on the 8th day. The data were analyzed using the SPSS WIN 12.0 Program. Results: The first hypothesis that "the degree of postpartum blues for the experimental group who participated in music therapy would be lower than that of the control group" was accepted (t=4.350, p<.001). The second hypothesis that "the degree of maternal attachment of the experimental group who participated in music therapy would be higher than that of the control group" was accepted (t=4.828, p<.001). Conclusion: These findings indicate that music therapy has positive influences on decreasing postpartum blues and increasing maternal attachment of puerperal women.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.43 no.1
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• pp.11-19
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• 2013

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify influence of childbirth experience and postpartum depression on quality of life in women after birth. Methods: Two hundred and eleven postpartum women were asked to complete the questionnaires on their childbirth experience during their admission and on their postpartum depression and quality of life between one to three weeks after birth. Initial data were collected from February 1 to May 30, 2011 at two obstetric hospitals in Busan, Korea. Data were analyzed using t-test, ANOVA, Pearson correlation coefficients, and hierarchical multiple regression. Results: The women's childbirth experience and postpartum depression were identified as factors influencing quality of life after birth. The model explained 50% of the variables. Conclusion: Results suggest that childbirth educators should include strategies to increase a positive childbirth experience and to decrease postpartum depression in their education programs in order to improve women's quality of life.