Knowledge and Practice of Postpartum Exercise by Childbearing Mothers in Ohaozara Local Government Area, Ebonyi State

Abstract

The study investigated the level of knowledge and practice of postpartum exercise by childbearing mothers (CBM) in Ohaozara Local Government Area of Ebonyi State. The researchers adopted the descriptive survey research design. Four specific objectives with its corresponding research question and two hypotheses guided the study. The population for the study was 5, 432 childbearing mothers assessing post natal services at health facilities. The sample size of 375 childbearing mothers obtained through Taro Yamane formula for a finite population was used.  Instrument for data collection was the questionnaire. Research questions were answered using frequencies and percentage while chi square statistics was used to test the hypothesis at 0.05 level of significance. Results indicate that CBMs in Ohaozara possess high level of knowledge of postpartum exercise (77.1%). Also, the higher the level of education of CBMs, the higher their knowledge of postpartum exercise (PPE). Hence, CBMs with tertiary level of education have the highest level of knowledge of PPE (81%), whereas CBMs with no formal education have the lowest level of knowledge of PPE (60%). Results further revealed that 69.9% of the CBMs engaged in PPE after childbirth with CBMs in rural areas engaging in PPE more than those in urban areas. Knowledge of PPE by CBMs is not significantly dependent on age, occupation and location, while Knowledge of PPE by CBMs is significantly dependent on level of education. The researchers recommended that more awareness on the meaning, types and benefits of postpartum exercise should be created through the mass media, using the appropriate languages comprehensive to childbearing mothers in Ohaozara.