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
. 2023 Mar 30;42(1):25.
doi: 10.1186/s41043-023-00368-4.

Investigation of the effects of physical activity level on functionality level and quality of life in the postpartum period

Halil I Bulguroglu  1 , Merve Bulguroglu  2 , P T Cansu Gevrek  3
Affiliations

Investigation of the effects of physical activity level on functionality level and quality of life in the postpartum period

Halil I Bulguroglu et al. J Health Popul Nutr. .

Abstract

Background: Physical activity, known to have positive effects in every period of life, may decrease due to anatomical and physiological changes and increased responsibilities in the postpartum period. This study aimed to understand how women's physical activity levels, functional levels, and quality of life are affected in the postpartum period and to emphasize the importance of physical activity levels in the postpartum period.

Methods: The population of our study was planned as a cross-sectional study of postpartum women who applied to a private center. The sample consists of 101 volunteer postpartum women participating in the study. Physical activity levels; with the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ), postpartum functional levels; with the Inventory of Functional Status After Childbirth (IFSAC), postpartum quality of life level; with Maternal Postpartum Quality of Life (MAPP-QOL) were evaluated.

Results: It was determined that the amount of physical activity of postpartum women was 928.347 ± 281.27 MET-min/week, which means low physical activity level, and 35.64% were not physically active. The mean total score of IFSAC was 2.13 ± 0.79, and the mean total score of MAPP-QOL was 16.93 ± 6.87. It was determined that there was a positive and significant correlation (p < 0.05) between IPAQ and IFSAC (r = 0.034) and MAPP-QOL (r = 0.214). A significant difference was found when the IFSAC and MAPP-QOL scores were compared between the three groups with different physical activity levels (p < 0.05).

Conclusions: As a result, it was observed that the physical activity levels of women in the postpartum period were low, negatively affecting their functionality and quality of life.

Keywords: Functionality; Physical activity; Postpartum; Quality of life.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

References

    1. Fathi F, Mohammad-Alizadeh-Charandabi S, Mirghafourvand M. Maternal self-efficacy, postpartum depression, and their relationship with functional status in Iranian mothers. Women Health. 2018;58(2):188–203. doi: 10.1080/03630242.2017.1292340. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Sanli Y, Oncel S. Evaluation of the functional status of woman after childbirth and effective factors. J Turk Soc Obstet Gynecol. 2014;2:105–114. doi: 10.4274/tjod.82574. - DOI
    1. Fawcett J, Tulman L, Myers ST. Development of the inventory of functional status after childbirth. J Nurse Midwifery. 1988;33(6):252–260. doi: 10.1016/0091-2182(88)90080-8. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Doering Runquist JJ, Morin K, Stetzer FC. Severe fatigue and depressive symptoms in lower-income urban postpartum women. West J Nurs Res. 2009;31(5):599–612. doi: 10.1177/0193945909333890. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Edhborg M, Seimyr L, Lundh W, Widstrom AM. Fussy child-difficult parenthood? Comparisons between families with a “depressed” mother and non-depressed mother 2 month postpartum. J Reprod Infant Psychol. 2000;18:225–238. doi: 10.1080/713683036. - DOI