Original Research Article
Year: 2019 | Month: August | Volume: 9 | Issue: 8 | Pages: 348-352
A Comparative Study To Assess The Quality Of Life Among Mothers After Normal Vaginal Delivery And Caesarean Section At A Selected Hospital, Bangalore
Divya Reghunath1, C.Sangeetha2
1M.Sc Nursing student, 2Professor & HOD,
Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology nursing, Narayana Hrudayalaya College of Nursing, Bangalore, Karnataka -560099
Corresponding Author: Divya Reghunath
ABSTRACT
Introduction: Post partum quality of life is an extensive and intricate concept, which has mingled with an individual’s physical health, mental state, independence, social contacts, and personal beliefs. [1] Hence it is affected by many aspects of health and well being which is associated with the type of delivery.
Objectives: The study aims to assess and compare the quality of life among postnatal mothers after normal delivery and caesarean section.
Methodology: A descriptive study was conducted with 60 postnatal mothers who fulfill the inclusion criteria, among them 30 mothers after caesarean section and 30 after normal delivery were selected using convenient sampling technique. Data was collected using SF 36 questionnaire to assess the general health of the postnatal mother.
Setting: The immunization clinic and pediatric OPD of a selected tertiary care hospital, Bangalore having an inpatient capacity 500 beds where the mothers are undergoing both normal and caesarean section deliveries.
Results: The results showed that the caesarean mothers had a low mean score in aspects of physical functioning (47) when compared to normal delivery mothers (64.5).When comparing emotional health aspects, energy / fatigue had a lower score among caesarean mothers (37) than normally delivered mothers (42.6).The comparison also showed that there is no significant difference in all the other aspects of quality of life except physical functioning (p=0.001)
Conclusion: The present study evidenced that energy/fatigue was the major factor that affects the post natal quality of life among mothers who underwent caesarean section and normal delivery. The study evidenced that the mothers who underwent caesarean section were more fatigued when compared to the normally delivered mothers and also, the quality of life was found to be better among normal delivery mothers than those who had a caesarean section.
Key words: postnatal mothers, caesarean section (CS), normal delivery (NVD), quality of life (QoL)