Influencing Factors on Maternal Role Adjustment among the Primipara Women in the First Year after Childbirth

Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify the influencing factors on maternal role adjustment among the primiparous women in the first year after childbirth. Methods: The study subjects were 210 healthy primiparous women who have delivered at one of four women"s health hospitals and revisited the out-patient department for the routine check-up and baby"s vaccination during the first year after childbirth. Data were collected by a self-report questionnaire which consisted of general characteristics, maternal role adjustment, spousal rearing support, childcare stress, and postpartum depression. Collected data were analyzed by using the SPSS Win 18.0 program with descriptive statistics, t-test, one way ANOVA, Pearson correlation coefficient and multiple regression. Results: The maternal role adjustment was significantly correlated with spousal rearing support (r=.649, p<.001), childcare stress (r=-.596, p<.001), postpartum depression (r=-.569, p<.001), and subjective health condition (r=.204, p=.003). The multiple regression analysis showed that the maternal role adjustment were significantly affected by spousal rearing support (t=6.542, p<.001). childcare stress (t=-3.268, p=.001), and postpartum depression (t=-2.238, p=.018). Conclusion: From these results, it is concluded that the nursing intervention for enhancing spousal support in childcare and decreasing the childcare stress and depression should be developed for improving maternal role adjustment in the first time mother, especially within one year after childbirth.