The relationships among postpartum fatigue, depressive mood, self-care agency, and self-care action of first-time mothers in Bangladesh

Purpose: Postpartum fatigue can impact maternal well-being and has been associated with levels of perceived self-care. This study aimed to examine the relationship among fatigue, depressive mood, self-care agency, and self-care action among postpartum women in Bangladesh. Methods: A descriptive cross sectional survey was done with 124 first-time mothers from two tertiary hospitals in Dhaka, Bangladesh. The Modified Fatigue Symptoms checklist, Denyes' Self Care Instrument, the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale, and items on sociodemographic and delivery-related characteristics, were used in Bengali via translation and back-translation process. Results: High fatigue levels were found in 18.5% (n=23) and 73.4% had possible depression (n=91). There was a significant negative relationship between fatigue and self-care agency (r=-.31, p<.001), and self-care action (r=-.21, p<.05). Fatigue differed by level of self-care agency (t=4.06, p<.001), self-care action (t=2.36, p=.023), newborn's APGAR score (t=-2.93, p=.004), parental preparation class participation (F=15.53, p<.001), and postpartum depressive mood (t=-4.64, p<.001). Conclusion: Findings suggest that high level of self-care efficacy and behaviors can contribute to fatigue management, and highlight the need for practical interventions to better prepare mothers for postpartum self-care, which may, in turn, alleviate postpartum fatigue.