title: Adherence to "Doing-the-month" practices is associated with fewer physical and depressive symptoms among postpartum women in Taiwan.
abstract: According to traditional Chinese custom, women should be confined to home and assisted with tasks for 1 month after giving birth to a child. This restrictive regimen is referred to as doing-the-month. The objectives of this study were to describe adherence to doing-the-month practices and to explore the association between adherence to doing-the-month practices and physical symptoms and depression among postpartum women in Taiwan. Participants were 202 women at 4-6 weeks after delivery. Adherence to doing-the-month practices was associated with lower severity of physical symptoms and lower odds of postnatal depression, after adjustment for potential confounders. Adherence to doing-the-month practices was associated with better health status among postpartum women in Taiwan.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Community Health Nursing, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Li-Yin
authors.initials: LY
authors.lastname: Chien
authors.forename: Chen-Jei
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Tai
authors.forename: Yi-Li
authors.initials: YL
authors.lastname: Ko
authors.forename: Chou-Hua
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Shuh-Jen
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Sheu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002681:China / Q000208:ethnology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D018864:Cultural Diversity; D019052:Depression, Postpartum / Q000145:classification / Q000517:prevention & control*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016014:Linear Models; D010349:Patient Compliance / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011181:Postnatal Care / Q000379:methods* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013624:Taiwan