Effects of a Maternal Role Adjustment Program on First-time Mothers

Kim, Su Jeong; Seo, Ji Min

doi:2018.24.3.322

Korean J Women Health Nurs > Volume 24(3); 2018 > Article

Original Article

Korean Journal of Women Health Nursing 2018;24(3):322-332.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.4069/kjwhn.2018.24.3.322 Published online September 20, 2018.

Effects of a Maternal Role Adjustment Program on First-time Mothers

Su Jeong Kim, Ji Min Seo

¹Graduate Student, College of Nursing, Pusan National University, Yangsan, Korea.
²Professor, College of Nursing, Pusan National University, Yangsan, Korea. seojimin@pusan.ac.kr

Abstract

PURPOSE
To investigate the effect of a maternal role adjustment program on first-time mothers.
METHODS
The research was quasi-experimental with a non-equivalent control group non-synchronized design. Participants were first-time mothers admitted to two postpartum clinics at women's hospitals. The experimental group had 38 mothers and the control group had 35 mothers. A maternal role adjustment program was applied individually to the experimental group between the 1st and 2nd weeks after childbirth. Assessing Adaptation to Motherhood, Semantic Differential Scale-Myself as Mother, and Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale were used to measure effects of the program. A pre-test was conducted in the 1st week after childbirth while post-tests were conducted in the 4th and 6th weeks. Data were analyzed with χ2 test, Fisher's exact test, t-test, and repeated measures ANOVA using SPSS 24.0.
RESULTS
Maternal role adjustment (F=6.17, p=.015) and maternal identity (F=6.63, p=.012) were significantly increased in the experimental group compared to those in the control group. However, the difference in postpartum depression (F=1.11, p=.335) was not statistically significant between the two groups.
CONCLUSION
The maternal role adjustment program can be utilized as an effective nursing intervention program to enhance maternal role adjustment and maternal identity for first-time mothers.

Key Words: Maternal behavior; Mother-child interaction; Postpartum depression; Psychological adaptation