• Perspectives in Nursing Science
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.88-95
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• 2016

Purpose: Gestational weight gain and prepregnancy body weight are important factors of childbirth outcomes, which further cause obesity, metabolic diseases, or psychological problems later in women's lives. Changes in diet, westernized lifestyle, traditional postpartum care, and childbirth at older age are thought to be threats to proper weight management in Korean women of reproductive age. Public health and antenatal care need to focus on the proper body weight management of women by carefully planning pregnancy to postpartum periods. Purpose: This study explored the body weight changes from pregnancy to postpartum and the related characteristics in women within 12 months after childbirth. Methods: A cross-sectional, retrospective study was conducted with 102 Korean women within 12 months after childbirth. Data were collected using an online survey system, and a structured questionnaire available for electronic self-administration was modified to include demographics, obstetrical history, and body weight at 6 time points. The International Physical Activity Questionnaire and Eating Habit Measurement instruments were also used in data collection. A professional survey agency recruited the participants, and data were automatically saved and then analyzed. Results: The average age of the participants was 33.8 years, 48% were housewives and were well-educated. Seventy-two percent of the participants were primiparas and 82% had breastfed their babies. The body mass index (BMI) ranged from 17.3 to 27.8, indicating that 21.5% of the participants were overweight or obese. The mean gestational weight gain was 11.8 kg, and weight loss was apparent during the first 3 months postpartum. The mean decline in weight was 3.4 kg at one year after childbirth. Women wanted to lose 5.6 kg (range: 3~20 kg), however 44% of them reported that they had not engaged in any weight control efforts. Further, 72% of them reported having engaged in a low level of physical activity. Body weight was not associated with women's characteristics, physical activity score, and diet. Conclusion: Women's awareness of gestational weight gain, lifestyle modification, and the risk of prolonged weight retention should be promoted through the antenatal and women's healthcare systems. As pregnancy and childbirth are critical events that affect women's health, integrative education to ensure healthy transition to life after delivery is required.

• Korean Journal of Applied Biomechanics
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.387-393
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• 2010

The purpose of this study was to compare pregnant women's gait parameters and mechanical energies caused by changes in hormone levels and anatomical features such as body mass, body-mass distribution, joint laxity, and musculo-tendinous strength from pregnancy to postpartum. Ten subjects (height: $161{\pm}6.5cm$, mass: $62.7{\pm}10.4\;kg$, $66.4{\pm}9.3\;kg$, $68.4{\pm}7.7\;kg$, $57.2{\pm}7.7\;kg$) participated in the four times experiments (the first, middle, last term and after birth) and walked ten trials at a self-selected pace without shoes. The gait motions were captured with Qualisys system and gait parameters were calculated with Visual-3D. Pregnant women's gait velocities were decreased during the pregnancy periods, but increased after birth. Stride width and cycle time were increased during pregnancy, but decreased after birth. Thigh energy (77.4%) was greater than shank energy (19.06%) or feet (3.54%) about total energy of the lower limbs. Their feet (Left R2=0.881, Right R2=0.852) and shank (Left R2=0.318, Right R2=0.226) energies were significantly increased (positive correlation), but double limb stance time (DLST, R2=0.679) and body total energy (R2=0.138) were decreased (negative correlation) for their velocities. These differences suggest that thigh segment may be a dominant segment among lower limbs, and have something to do with gait velocities. Further studies should investigate joint power and joint work to find energy dissipation or absorption from pregnancy period to postpartum.

• Research in Community and Public Health Nursing
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.116-129
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• 2021

Purpose: This study aimed to investigate the maternal health effects of internet-based education interventions on parturients during the postpartum period through a systematic review of randomized controlled trials. Methods: An electronic literature search of the Cochrane Library, CINAHL, EMBASE, Eric, PsycINFO, PubMed, RISS, and KISS databases was performed, using the combination of keywords such as 'parenthood education', '*natal education', '*birth intervention', 'internet-based intervention', 'randomized controlled trial'. The inclusion criteria were peer-reviewed papers in English regarding randomized controlled trials of internet-based postnatal education interventions. Educational interventions were delivered through any web, mobile, eHealth, mHealth, virtual reality, short message service, or social networking service platform. Quality appraisal was performed using the Risk of Bias 2 (RoB 2) for randomized controlled trials. Nine articles were yielded, and the intervention effects were analyzed. Results: Internet-based education interventions during the postpartum period affect maternal self-efficacy, postpartum depression, and successive breastfeeding; however, they do not affect maternal satisfaction and parenting confidence. Conclusion: This study demonstrated that internet-based education interventions affect maternal health status in terms of psychological, emotional, and physical wellness. Therefore, maternal health care professionals can utilize remote education using the internet or mobile-based interventions during the postpartum period.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.49-52
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• 2012

Purpose: To evaluate the effectiveness and safety of postoperative radiotherapy for the treatment of keloid scars administered immediately after Cesarean section. Materials and Methods: A total of 26 postpartum patients with confirmed keloids resulting from previous Cesarean sections received either 12 or 15 Gy radiotherapy. The radiotherapy was divided into three 6 MeV electron beam fractions administered during the postpartum period immediately following the final Cesarean section. To evaluate ovarian safety, designated doses of radiation were estimated at the calculated depth of the ovaries using a solid plate phantom and an ionization chamber with the same lead cutout as was used for the treatment of Cesarean section operative scars and a tissue equivalent bolus. Results: In total, the control rate was 77% (20 patients), while six (23%) developed focally elevated keloids (ranging from 0.5 to 2 cm in length) in the middle of the primary abdominal scar. Five patients experienced mild hyperpigmentation. Nonetheless, most patients (96%) were satisfied with the treatment results. The estimated percentage of the applied radiation doses that reached the calculated depth of the ovaries ranged from 0.0033% to 0.0062%. Conclusion: When administered during the immediate postpartum period, postoperative electron beam radiotherapy for repeated Cesarean section scars is generally safe and produces good cosmetic results with minimal toxicity.

• Women's Health Nursing
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.266-276
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• 2014

Purpose: This study was correlation study to identify the factors influencing sleep quality, fatigue, and postnatal depression in mothers who have given birth during the past 6 months. Methods: The study was conducted using a survey with questionnaires to 329 mothers who visited E University Medical Center, or three local clinics located in D city, between August and October 2013. Collected data were analyzed using the SPSS/WIN 20.0 program. Results: Out of 329 subjects, 18.2% showed that they had mild postnatal depression whereas 24.3% had severe postnatal depression. Accordingly, 42.5% reported having postnatal depression. Postnatal depression had a significant correlation with sleep hours after childbirth (r=-.16, p=.003), spousal support (r=-.28, p<.001), sleep quality (r=-.35, p<.001), physical fatigue (r=.66, p<.001), psychological fatigue (r=.69, p<.001), and neurosensory fatigue (r=.56, p< .001). Factors influencing postnatal depression include psychological fatigue, sleep quality, number of child births, and neurosensory fatigue, and these accounted for 53% of postnatal depression. Conclusion: Results indicate that factors influencing postnatal depression involve psychological fatigue, sleep quality, number of child births, and neurosensory fatigue. Therefore for nursing intervention for postpartum mothers, it is necessary to assess the level of depression, fatigue, and sleep quality, and to provide interventions to relieve depression.

• Women's Health Nursing
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.191-200
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• 2017

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine the factors that may affect quality of life of mothers who delivered premature infants. Methods: With survey design, data were collected from 145 mothers of premature infants with corrected age of 2 months to 12 months from January 9 to February 2, 2017. Quality of life was assessed with two measures of direct survey in the selected hospital and online survey. A self-report questionnaire was administered regarding personality of the mothers and the infants, postpartum depression, parenting stress, social support, and the quality of life. Data were analyzed using t-test, ANOVA, Pearson correlation coefficients, and multiple regression. Results: The quality of life of the mothers of the premature infants was influenced by postpartum depression, parenting stress, parents-infant dysfunctional interactions, and social support accounted for 65% of the variance. Conclusion: These results indicate that early screening and continuous management of postpartum depression during postpartum period are important to improve the quality of life of the mothers of the premature infants. Education program and information and social support systems need to be developed to monitor mother-infant interaction and their role development.

• The Journal of Korean Obstetrics and Gynecology
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.186-198
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• 2007

Purpose : Postnatal depression is a major public health problem. The aim of this study is to investigate the relation between Edinburgh postnatal depression scale and Heart rate variability in the Early Postpartum. Methods : The subjects were 33 women who admitted for postpartum treatment in Hospital of Woosuk University from 13th October to 8th December 2006. 33 women filled out an EPDS, general questionnaire and then they took the test of Heart rate variability at 3th day after normal spontaneous vaginal delivery. We studied the results to investigate the relation between EPDS and HRV. Results: 1. Mean age of risk group of depression is larger than non-risk group. 2. SDNN, RMSSD and SDSS of non-risk group of depression significantly increased compared with that of risk group. 3. Ln(TP), Ln(HF) of non-risk group of depression significantly increased compared with that of risk group. Conclusion : The results suggest that there were significant differences on HRV between risk group and non-risk group of early postpartum depression examined by EPDS.

• Women's Health Nursing
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.258-272
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• 2019

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify nursing interventions for the postpartum breast care of mothers and determine the effectiveness of interventions for breast pain and engorgement by systematic review. Methods: Eight national and international databases were reviewed to retrieve and collect randomized controlled trial and controlled clinical trial literature published up to March 2015. Two reviewers independently selected the studies and performed data abstraction and validation. The risk of bias was assessed using Cochrane criteria. A meta-analysis of the studies was performed to analyze the data. Results: The meta-analysis showed that breast massage, along with routine breast care, resulted in a 3.52-point reduction in pain on a 10-point visual analogue scale. Meta-analysis of therapy with cold cabbage leaves and routine breast care showed a pain reduction of 0.54 points. Meta-analysis of cold cabbage leaf application in the experimental group versus cold compress therapy in the comparison group showed a pain reduction of 0.44 points. Meta-analysis of cold cabbage leaf application and routine breast care showed an engorgement reduction of 0.67 points. Conclusion: The results of the analysis of 12 articles showed that hot and cold compresses, breast massage, and cabbage application were effective for postpartum breast pain and engorgement.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.649-658
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• 2019

The purpose of this study was to investigate the current status of postpartum depression intervention program performed in Korea and to evaluate its effectiveness. Of the Korean academic journals reported until November 2018, 13 experimental studies were selected and used for final analysis. The average age of the subjects was 26.9 to 34.4 years, and subjects were puerperal women or couples. The sample size was 6~39 (mean: 20.4) in the experimental group, 5~40 in the control group (mean: 20.0), and the intervention program consisted of 0.5~12 weeks/2~14 sessions/10~120 minutes per session. The design of all the studies was a non-equivalent control group pre-post test design. The main dependent variables, postpartum depression, fatigue, and maternal role self-confidence, were all found to have a statistically significant median level of effect size in the meta-analysis. This study confirms the composition and effects of various experimental studies used to mediate postpartum depression in Korea. This could be used as specific evidence-based data to form an optimal postpartum intervention program.

• Korean Journal of Biological Psychiatry
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.134-140
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• 2011

Objectives Postpartum blues is known to be a major risk factor for postpartum depression and can be associated with the problems of language skills, behaviors or learning skills of their children. Therefore, it is very important for clinicians to evaluate precisely and control postpartum blues. Recent studies have found that music has an effect on depressive mood and the frontal EEG asymmetry of the patients with depression. The purpose of this study was to find out the effects of music on the frontal EEG asymmetry of the mothers with postpartum blues. Method Among one hundred and seventy mothers assessed with Korean version of the Edinburg Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS), nine mothers with postpartum blues (EPDS ${\geq}$ 10) as postpartum blues group and nine non-depressive mothers (EPDS < 10) as non-depressive mother group were included. Ten non-labored, non-depressive women were also included as a normal control group. The subjects were evaluated with the State Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI)-X1, the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) and the Depression Adjective Checklist-Korean version (K-DACL) and EEG twice before and after the music sesssion with the length of twenty minutes and thirty two seconds. The statistical analyses were done for A1 score (log R - log L) which were computed from the alpha powers at F3 and F4. Results No significant difference was noted in demographic data among all three groups. The postpartum blues group had higher scores in the STAI-X1, the VAS and the K-DACL compared to the other groups at baseline, and their A1 scores were lower than those of only normal controls. There was a statistically significant increase of A1 score only in the postpartum blues group after the music session. Conclusion This study suggests that the mothers with postpartum blues may have a frontal EEG asymmetry which is possibly associated with their depressive mood, and the music session can affect the frontal asymmetry positively.