Abstract:

INTRODUCTION: The aim of the study was to determine postpartum fatigue, self-care power, the relationship between self-care power of women and postpartum fatigue in the postpartum second month and related factors. METHODS: This is a cross-sectional study and included 313 women determined with convenience sampling method in postpartum second month. Research data were collected with a questionnaire including questions about demographics and independent variables tested, Visual Analog Scale for Fatigue, Self- Care Power Scale, Edinburgh Postpartum Depression Scale, and the Multidimensional Perceived Social Support Scale. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, correlation and multiple regression analysis. RESULTS: The mean age of the women included in the study was 25.36 ± years (standard deviation = 3.67, range: 18-35). Of all women, 57.6% were primary school and secondary school graduates, 77.3% were housewives, and 31.0% had health insurance. Negative correlation was between the fatigue scores and self- care power (r = -0.183, p<0.001), the social support (r = -0.131, p<0.05) and the energy (r = -0.318, p<0.001), and positive correlation was between the fatigue score and depression (r = 0.173, p<0.001). Analyses performed to determine factors associated with fatigue and energy symptom scores, revealed a positive relation between fatigue and being a secondary school graduate of husband, and between energy and having high income levels. It was determined a negative relation between the self-care power of women and the lack of social security, the number of living children, fatigue, lack of supportive persons in housework and baby care, and a positive relation between the self-care power of women and perceived social support, having a university education, spouses’ age, anaemia DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: This study revealed that postpartum fatigue affected negatively the self-care power of women. It could contribute to the protection and improvement of the baby's and mother’s health with the evaluating of postpartum fatigue and improving the coping with fatigue symptoms in the planning and serving of postpartum care serves.

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