Indonesian Journal of Community Health Nursing
Vol. 11 No. 2 (2026): AUGUST 2026

IMPACT OF POSTNATAL EDUCATION ON KNOWLEDGE OF FACTORS INFLUENCING POSTPARTUM ADAPTATION AMONG PRIMIPAROUS MOTHERS

Shatu Ishaku (Ahmadu Bello University Zaria, Kaduna State.)
Oluwatoyin A. Ogunyewo (University of Jos, Plateau State, Nigeria)
Ishaku Hassan (Federal Medical Centre, Jalingo, Taraba State, Nigeria)
Ramatu Balarabe (Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Kaduna State, Nigeria)



Article Info

Publish Date
09 Aug 2026

Abstract

Introduction: The postpartum period is a critical transition marked by physical, psychological, and social changes requiring mothers, particularly first-time mothers, to adapt to new maternal roles. Successful adaptation is influenced by factors such as coping strategies, self-efficacy, awareness, family support, healthcare provision, cultural norms, and relevant laws or regulations. This study examined the impact of a structured health education intervention on knowledge of factors influencing postpartum adaptation among primiparous mothers in Zaria Metropolis, Kaduna State, Nigeria.   Method: A quasi-experimental nonequivalent control group design with pretest and posttest was employed between October 2021 and April 2022. A total of 130 primiparous mothers were recruited using multistage sampling. The intervention group received a 40-minute structured health education session, while the control group received routine care. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire assessing knowledge of factors influencing postpartum adaptation. Analysis was conducted using descriptive statistics and McNemar’s chi-square test at p ≤ 0.05. Percentage change (Δ%) was used to estimate effect size.   Result: Baseline differences were observed in age (p = 0.003) and education (p = 0.001), while other variables were comparable. The intervention group showed significant improvements across all factors (p < 0.001), with increases ranging from +3.5% to +66.5%. Notable gains were observed in knowledge of healthcare provider support (+40.8%) and laws/regulations (+66.5%). In contrast, the control group showed inconsistent changes, including declines in coping strategies (−16.7%) and personality traits (−11.8%), with no improvement in self-efficacy and legal knowledge. Overall, the intervention group demonstrated markedly greater improvement.   Conclusion: Structured postnatal education significantly improves mothers’ knowledge of factors influencing postpartum adaptation.   Keywords: factors; impact; postnatal education; postpartum adaptation; primiparous mothers

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Journal Info

Abbrev

IJCHN

Publisher

Subject

Immunology & microbiology Nursing Public Health

Description

Indonesian Journal of Community Health Nursing is a scientific media periodically published twice a year (February and August) which contains scientific articles on health and nursing specifically related to the topic of community health nursing that published by Faculty of Nursing Universitas ...