Effects of a health education program targeted to Chinese women adhering to their cultural practice of doing the month: A randomized controlled trial

Abstract

Background: "Doing the month" is a prevalent Chinese postpartum custom which is believed to restore health after delivery. However, some traditional practices are potentially harmful for women's health.

Objectives: To examine the effect of an evidence-based health education program on Chinese postpartum women's adherence to traditional practices of doing the month and the effect of adherence to doing the month on maternal physiological and psychological health.

Methods: A randomized controlled trial was conducted. During December 2016-July 2017, we recruited postpartum women at a tertiary hospital. Women randomized to the intervention group received evidence-based health education within 1 week after returning home and received a second visit 1 month later. The control group received routine postpartum home visits. Adherence to doing the month was measured by the Adherence to Doing-the-Month Practices questionnaire (ADP). Maternal physical health was measured by the Chair Stand Test and Postpartum Symptom Checklist. Maternal psychological health was measured by the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS). Descriptive statistics, t-test, and chi-squared test were used to analyze the differences in scores and symptoms of the two groups.

Results: We recruited 124 eligible postpartum women and 108 of them (54 intervention group, 54 control group) completed this study. The ADP score of the intervention group was significantly lower than that of the control group (p < 0.001). The number of participants in the experimental group with poor appetite and indigestion was significantly lower than that of control group. No significant differences were found in numbers of symptoms and average EPDS scores between the 2 study groups (p > 0.05).

Conclusions: Evidence-based health education can reduce postpartum women's adherence to some traditional practices of doing the month and improve women's physical health.

Keywords: Doing the month; Evidence-based health education; Physiological health; Psychological health.