Abstract
Background
Birthing parents need to use specialized skills as the first caregivers of the newborn. Several factors may affect maternal performance, the general health of the birthing parent (e.g., mother) being one of them. Yet, there is a paucity of research in this area, particularly in Iran, and evidence remains inconsistent. Consequently, this study aimed to determine any correlations between maternal performance and the general health of mothers following vaginal childbirth in the context of Iran.
Methods
This cross-sectional study was conducted with people identifying as mothers (n = 450) who had given birth (< two months) and been referred for the vaccination of their newborn. The multi-stage sampling method was carried out from April 2022 to February 2023. Participants who met the inclusion criteria completed a demographic and obstetric information questionnaire, along with the Barkin maternal performance and general health questionnaire. To investigate the relationship between maternal performance and the general health of the mothers, an independent t-test analysis was conducted . The level of statistical significance was set at p < 0.05.
Results
The mean age of participants was 26.78, and the mean total score of maternal performance was 91.04 (0 - 120). The highest and lowest scores related to the ‘maternal competence’ and the ‘maternal needs’ domains, respectively. Overall, 76.89% of participants had a favorable general health condition (a score of less than 3.5 is considered favorable). There was no statistically significant difference identified in terms of maternal performance scores between those with a favorable and those with an unfavorable general health status.
Conclusion
Although the results of the present study did not show a significant relationship between the general health of mothers and maternal performance, this research builds on a growing body of evidence in the context of Iran. Despite recording high maternal performance scores in this sample, it will be important to enhance and maintain good mental health in all childbearing people, particularly following vaginal childbirth, as it is this which will enhance care and outcomes overall.
Birthing parents need to use specialized skills as the first caregivers of the newborn. Several factors may affect maternal performance, the general health of the birthing parent (e.g., mother) being one of them. Yet, there is a paucity of research in this area, particularly in Iran, and evidence remains inconsistent. Consequently, this study aimed to determine any correlations between maternal performance and the general health of mothers following vaginal childbirth in the context of Iran.
Methods
This cross-sectional study was conducted with people identifying as mothers (n = 450) who had given birth (< two months) and been referred for the vaccination of their newborn. The multi-stage sampling method was carried out from April 2022 to February 2023. Participants who met the inclusion criteria completed a demographic and obstetric information questionnaire, along with the Barkin maternal performance and general health questionnaire. To investigate the relationship between maternal performance and the general health of the mothers, an independent t-test analysis was conducted . The level of statistical significance was set at p < 0.05.
Results
The mean age of participants was 26.78, and the mean total score of maternal performance was 91.04 (0 - 120). The highest and lowest scores related to the ‘maternal competence’ and the ‘maternal needs’ domains, respectively. Overall, 76.89% of participants had a favorable general health condition (a score of less than 3.5 is considered favorable). There was no statistically significant difference identified in terms of maternal performance scores between those with a favorable and those with an unfavorable general health status.
Conclusion
Although the results of the present study did not show a significant relationship between the general health of mothers and maternal performance, this research builds on a growing body of evidence in the context of Iran. Despite recording high maternal performance scores in this sample, it will be important to enhance and maintain good mental health in all childbearing people, particularly following vaginal childbirth, as it is this which will enhance care and outcomes overall.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Article number | e18749445342415 |
| Number of pages | 8 |
| Journal | Open Public Health Journal |
| Volume | 17 |
| Early online date | 19 Sept 2024 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | E-pub ahead of print - 19 Sept 2024 |
Bibliographical note
© 2024 The Author(s). Published by Bentham Open.This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International Public License (CCBY 4.0), a copy of which is available at: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/legalcode. This license permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited
Funder
The current study was funded and supported by Iran University of Medical SciencesFunding
The current study was funded and supported by Iran University of Medical Sciences
| Funders | Funder number |
|---|---|
| Iran University of Medical Sciences |
Keywords
- General health
- Maternal performance
- Childbirth
- Predictors
- Postpartum
- Pregnancy
