The Effect of an Exercise Program in Reducing the Severity of Postpartum Depression in Women
Condition: Depression, Postpartum
MeSH terms: Depression, Postpartum; Depression; Depressive Disorder
Study type: Interventional

Summary: 
      Aim: This study aims to identify the effectiveness of an exercise program in reducing the
      severity of postnatal depression in women who had a spontaneous vaginal delivery.

      Methods: This randomized control trial was conducted with 65 postpartum women residing in a
      city located in the south-eastern Turkey. In the first postpartum month, following random
      assignment of subjects, the experimental group (n=40) performed exercises for four weeks, and
      the control group (n=40) received standard cares. The participating women were administered
      the Edinburgh Postpartum Depression Scale.
    

Detailed description: 
      Postpartum depression is characterized by irritability, guilt, burnout, anxiety, sleep
      disorders, and somatic symptoms that could have negative effects on the mother, baby, and
      family.

      In a meta-analysis study including 219 prevalence studies from 56 countries that investigated
      different phases of postpartum using various data collection tools, Hahn-Holbrook et al.
      (2018) found the depression prevalence at the global level as 17.7% (Hahn-Holbrook, 2018). In
      Turkey, 23.8% of women in the postpartum period were reported to be suffering from postpartum
      depression, which underlines the need for health professionals to be concerned about the
      health of the women in the postpartum period.

      Exercises done in the postpartum period are reported to enable psychosocial well-being, less
      anxiety and depression, better cardiovascular adaptation, body fat/weight control, less bone
      loss caused by lactation, and less stress incontinence. Studies have generally indicated the
      importance of regular exercise in the postpartum period. Studies have generally indicated the
      importance of regular exercise in the postpartum period.
    

Intervention name(s): Exercises
Intervention type(s): Behavioral
Intervention description(s): The women in the experimental group were given information about the benefits of exercises done in the postpartum period, the time to start these exercises, and the exercises to be conducted in three different phases (mild, medium, severe). The first physical exercise practice was done in the FHC together. In line with the recommendations by ACOG (2015), the women were told to do mild and medium level exercises in the first two weeks, at least five days in a week and at least half an hour daily (ACOG, 2015). They were also told that they should do medium and severe level exercises in the following two weeks. They were asked to mark on the form what time, how long, and at what level they did the exercises every day. The education booklet that included this information and the visuals of the exercises were given to the women in the experimental group. In addition, the women were called once a week in order to check whether the training was applied.
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention model: Crossover Assignment
Intervention model description: Randomized controlled trial with a prospective pretest-posttest experimental design.
Masking: Single (Participant)
Primary purpose: Supportive Care