Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Randomized Controlled Trial
. 2013 Jan 11:13:26.
doi: 10.1186/1471-2458-13-26.

Wide Awake Parenting: study protocol for a randomised controlled trial of a parenting program for the management of post-partum fatigue

Melissa Dunning  1 , Monique Seymour, Amanda Cooklin, Rebecca Giallo
Affiliations
Randomized Controlled Trial

Wide Awake Parenting: study protocol for a randomised controlled trial of a parenting program for the management of post-partum fatigue

Melissa Dunning et al. BMC Public Health. .

Abstract

Background: Exhaustion and fatigue are commonly experienced by parents during the post-partum period, and can have implications for daily functioning, mental health and parenting practices. There is a need for the development of effective interventions to assist parents with the management of fatigue. This paper outlines the procedure for a randomised controlled study which aims to test the efficacy of Wide Awake Parenting, a program for the management of fatigue in the postnatal period.

Methods/design: Parents with an infant less than 6 months of age, and from seven Local Government Areas in Melbourne, Australia were invited to participate in this study. Parents were randomised to receive the Wide Awake Parenting program (intervention groups) or usual care (control group) offered by health services. The Wide Awake Parenting program provides parents with psycho-education and information about fatigue, and strategies to reduce its effects either via a self-directed method, or professionally led with a home visit and telephone support. Baseline data will be collected prior to randomisation, and further data will be collected at 2- and 6-weeks post intervention.

Discussion: To our knowledge this is the first randomised controlled trial of a program which compares the efficacy of a self-management approach and health professional assistance for the management of fatigue in the early post-partum period. If effective, it could offer an important, universal public health management approach to this common health concern.

Trial registration number: Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry, ACTRN12611000133932.

PubMed Disclaimer

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

References

    1. Ansara D, Cohen M, Gallop R, Kung R, Schei B. Predictors of women's physical health problems after childbirth. J Psychosom Obstet Gynecol. 2005;26:115–125. doi: 10.1080/01443610400023064. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Parks P, Lenz E, Milligan R. What happens when fatigue lingers for 18 months after delivery? J Obstet Gynecol Neonatal Nurs. 1999;28:87–93. doi: 10.1111/j.1552-6909.1999.tb01969.x. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Cooklin A, Giallo R, Rose N. Parental fatigue and parenting practices during early childhood: An Australian community survey. Child Care Health Dev. 2011;38:654–664. - PubMed
    1. McQueen A, Mander R. Tiredness and fatigue in the postnatal period. J Adv Nurs. 2003;42:463–469. doi: 10.1046/j.1365-2648.2003.02645.x. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Giallo R, D'Esposito F, Chrstensen D, Mensah F, Cooklin A, Wade C, Lucas N, Canterford L, Nicholson J. Father mental health during the early parenting period: results of an Australian population based longitudinal study. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol. 2012;47:1907–1916. doi: 10.1007/s00127-012-0510-0. - DOI - PubMed

Publication types