Couples' postpartum health status

This study was conducted in Taiwan on couples for a month in the postpartum period to investigate the correlated factors that affect their health status.

Most studies have focused on the postpartum health status of mothers, but few of them mention about the postpartum health status of fathers.

A cross-sectional design.

This study was carried out on a cross-section of couples, and the data were collected through telephone interviews conducted by a research assistant using structured questionnaires. A total of 201 couples who had given birth to a healthy single baby at a medical centre in southern Taiwan were recruited between 1 August 2007-31 November 2007.

The two most important factors correlated with mothers' health statuses, during the month-long postpartum period, were mothers' educational and postpartum stress levels. The result also showed that baby's Apgar score at the first minute was the main factor related to father's health status during the month-long postpartum period.

Educational programmes should incorporate factors that affect couples' health status during the one month postpartum period to promote postnatal couples' health.

To improve the couples' health status during the one month postpartum period, we need to strengthen the stress-coping skills of mothers and provide them with coping resources to support their maternal roles, to provide social support to fathers and to incorporate issues of marital intimacy and parental attachment into the couples' educational programmes. Also, a father's presence at his infant's birth is encouraged to enhance parental attachment.