The effect of educational package on functional status and maternal self-confidence of primiparous women in postpartum period: a randomized controlled clinical trial

Abstract

Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the effect of a training package on functional status and self-confidence of primiparous women in the postpartum period.Method: This randomized controlled clinical trial was conducted on 136 primiparous women who were referred to health centers in Tabriz, Iran, for their second postpartum care (10-15 days after delivery). These women were randomly assigned to education (n=68) and control (n=68) groups. The education group was provided with a face-to-face training session, three phone sessions, and a booklet. The control group received the routine postpartum care on days 1-3, 10-15 and 42-60. Participants completed the functional status and maternal self-confidence questionnaires before the interventio n and eight weeks postpartum. Independent t, chi-square and Fisher's exact tests were used for data analysis.Results: No statistically significant difference was observed between the two groups in terms of sociodemographic characteristics, except for infant's gender (p>.05). At six weeks after the intervention and by adjusting for baseline scores and infant's sex, mean scores of functional status (adjusted mean difference: 0.9; 95% CI: 0.8-1.03, p<.001) and maternal self-confidence (adjusted mean difference: 16.6; 95% CI: 13.8-19.3, p<.001) were significantly higher in the education group than in the control group.Conclusion: This study showed that training women has a positive effect in increasing their self-confidence and improving their functional status.