The effect of educational package on functional status of primiparous women in postpartum period: A randomized controlled clinical trial

Introduction: Postpartum period is an important transition for parents, infants and families physiologically, emotionally and socially. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of training packages on functional status in the postpartum period. Materials and methods: 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). Primiparous women aged 18-35 with singleton pregnancy and term birth (37-42 weeks) were randomly assigned to training (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 in days 1-3, 10-15, and 42-60. Participants completed the functional status questionnaire before the intervention and eight weeks postpartum. ANCOVA with adjustments for baseline score was used for analysis. Results: No statistically significant difference was found between the two groups in terms of socio-demographic characteristics except for infant’s gender (p>0.05). At 6 weeks after the intervention and by adjusting for baseline scores, mean scores of functional status (Adjusted mean difference: 0.9; CI 95%: 0.8 to 1.03, p<0.001) in educational group were significantly higher than the control. Conclusion: Results showed that training women have a positive effect in improving their functional status.