Citation

Cho EJ. Korean J. Women Health Nurs. 2009; 15(2): 108-120.

Affiliation

Dept of Nursing, Sorabol College

Copyright

(Copyright © 2009, Korean Academy of Women’s Health Nursing)

DOI

10.4069/kjwhn.2009.15.2.108

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Purpose: This study aimed to explore the subjective sleep quality of depressed and non-depressed mothers in the late postpartum period and to determine the relationship with their health promoting behaviors, family functioning, parenting stress. Method: A non-probability sample of 128 mothers completed a self-administered questionnaires at 4-6weeks postpartum. The Edinburgh postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index were used to measure mother's experiences of depression symptoms and sleep. Related factors of sleep quality were measured by the Korean Family Functioning Scale, Health Promoting Lifestyle Profile, and Parenting Stress Index. The data was analysed using t-test, one-way ANOVA, and the Pearson's correlation coefficients. Result: The results indicated that the depressed mothers (EPDS 10) had poorer sleep quality than the non-depressed mothers(EPDS < 10), reported shortened sleep duration, and experienced more daytime dysfunctions. Depressed mothers who had no job, did not drink coffee, and were primipara tended to report poorer sleep quality. There were significant correlation between poorer sleep quality and lower health promoting behaviors, higher family intimacy and lower family communication, and higher parenting stress among depressed mothers. Conclusion: Our findings support the view that depressed mothers' experiences of poor sleep are much higher than non-depressed mothers and multi-faceted. Nurse professionals should screen for sleep problems in the depressed mothers with a different biopsychosocial and behavioral aspect from the non-depressed mothers in the late postpartum period.