Functional status, social support, and anxiety among postnatal women of Eastern India

Though becoming a mother is a joyous experience, the postpartum time can be difficult and stressful for women as they deal with significant physical alterations and adjustments to their daily routines. However, very few studies have focused on the functional well-being of the woman after childbirth. This study aims to find the level of functional status, social support, and anxiety among women attending immunization clinics.

A descriptive cross-sectional research design was adopted to recruit 220 women in this study from two immunization clinic centers in Bhubaneswar, Odisha. Data were collected using a self-reported sociodemographic profile, functional level scale after childbirth, modified multidimensional scale of perceived social support, and postnatal anxiety scale. Descriptive and inferential statistical tests were used for data analysis, including mean, percentage, and Fisher exact.

59.5 % of women returned to a moderate level of functional status after six weeks postpartum. The majority of women, 98.6 % and 83.6 %, reported high levels of return to personal care and baby care, respectively, whereas 34.7 % had moderate levels of return to home activities and 90 % had low levels of return to community and social tasks. Also, 70 % of women had high perceived social support, and 87.7 % had no anxiety. In this study, normal delivery women had better functional status than their cesarean delivery counterparts. Moreover, functional status was significantly associated with anxiety at six postpartum weeks.

After six weeks of childbirth, most women only partially resumed their pre-pregnancy functional state. So, much more time, rest, and support from family members were needed to recover to a fully functional level. Nurses, midwives, and the family members of women should be aware of the critical role that social support plays in enhancing a woman's functional and psychological status during the postpartum period.