title: A study on postpartum symptoms and their related factors in Korea.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study was aimed to identify the physical and mental state of women after delivery, to investigate the factors that influence those, and to examine the effects of postpartum care performance, which is traditionally believed to be appropriate care in Korea, on women's physical and mental status.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 148 women who visited our hospital for postpartum check-up on the 2(nd) week or 6(th) week after delivery were selected. We researched postpartum care methods using a questionnaire and had the women self-evaluate their postpartum symptoms. Depression was evaluated using the Beck Depression Inventory.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The average points of the 27 postpartum symptoms was 2.70 points (from 1 = very good to 5 = very bad). Seventy-two women had depression. Factors related to postpartum symptoms and depression were smoking before pregnancy, low marital satisfaction, bad mood during and after pregnancy, lack of support from husbands, and bad quality of sleep during puerperium. Treating the joints of hands carefully when milking breasts, and avoiding squatting down, demonstrated a negative correlation with the average points of postpartum symptoms. Multivariate linear regression analysis showed that mood during puerperium and Beck Depression Inventory points were significant factors related to the average points of postpartum symptoms and that the degree of support from husbands and mood during pregnancy were statistically related with depression.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Many women complained of postpartum discomfort. Although, while some postpartum care methods which are traditionally believed to be appropriate care in Korea can be helpful to women's recovery, most of them are not. We confirmed that physical symptoms and depression are closely related to each other.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Inha University School of Medicine, Inha University Hospital, Incheon, Korea.
authors.forename: Ji Yeon
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Kangwon National University Medical School, Chuncheon, Republic of Korea. Electronic address: rapidhwang@kangwon.ac.kr.
authors.forename: Jong Yun
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Hwang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015331:Cohort Studies; D019052:Depression, Postpartum / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D059026:Diagnostic Self Evaluation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D016014:Linear Models; D008423:Maternal Age; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D049590:Postpartum Period; D011247:Pregnancy; D011584:Psychology; D011644:Puerperal Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D011788:Quality of Life; D056910:Republic of Korea; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: postpartum care; postpartum depression; postpartum health; puerperal period; puerperium