Perceived Exercise and Recreation Among Pregnant Women Attending Antenatal Clinic
Chapter One
Objective of the study
The objective of the study is to research the perception of exercise and recreation among pregnant women attending antenatal clinics.
CHAPTER TWO
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
The Concept of Maternal and Child Health Care
Maternal and child health encompasses the health of women of child-bearing age from pre-pregnancy, through pregnancy, labour, and delivery, and the postpartum period and the health of the child prior to birth through adolescence (James, Robert & Jerome, 2008). The World Health Organization (2003) defined maternal and child health care as promotive, preventive, curative and rehabilitative health care for mothers throughout the child bearing period and for children from conception through adolescence. Annet (2004) defined maternal and child health care as the care that aimsat ensuring a healthy mother and baby throughout pregnancy and child birth. According to Annet (2004), it involves the screening of patients, and the treatment of diseases, as well as the identification and management of pregnancy related complications, care of the new-born baby and providing information about family planning and how and when to access medical care when complications arise. Bichi (2007) defined maternal and child health care as the care given to a woman and the child right from conception through infancy and childhood.
Every society, whether developed or developing, recognizes the importance of the health needs and problems of women and their children from birth to adolescence. For this reason both pregnant and lactating mothers and their children are given special status in the society (Bichi, 2007). Around the world people celebrate the birth of a new baby, society expects women to bear children and honour them for their role as mothers. Yet pregnancy and childbirth is a perilous journey. In developing countries, more than half a million mothers die from cases related to this life-giving event each year while several others have other related health problems still during pregnancy, childbirth and lactation (Ransom and Yinger, 2002). Women are the main victims of malnutrition and the additional biological demands during menstruation, pregnancy and lactation have made nutritional deficiencies the most widespread and disabling health problems among them. Therefore, the women folk deserve adequate attention hence maternal and child healthcare service was initiated (Bichi, 2007).
According to Sumithra, et al (2006) maternal and child health (MCH) services are essentially promotive. They provide avenues for the early detection of mothers and infants at high risk of morbidity and mortality. The MCH care services generally beginwith solving the problems of individual mothers and their children and extend to solving the problems of all individual members of the family within the larger community. Therefore, it generally covers the problems of mothering and parenthood. The programme is meant to ensure that every pregnant woman and nursing mother maintains good health, learns the art of child care, has a normal delivery, and bear healthy children, who should grow up in a family unit, with love and security in a healthy environment, well-nourished with adequate medical attention and socialization (Bichi, 2007). The objectives of maternal and child health care services as reported by Bamaneh (2004) include:
- Reduction of morbidity and mortality in this vulnerable group.
- Promotion of physical and emotional development of children.
- Ensuring that every mother has access to health services to maintain good health during pregnancy.
- Preparing every mother physically and psychologically to take care of her child.
- Ensuring that every mother goes through professional care delivery.
- Ensuring that every mother bears a healthy child.
- Ensuring that the child grows in a healthy environment.
- Ensuring that the child receives proper nutrition.
- Ensuring adequate protection of the child from diseases.
CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Research Design
Ex-post facto research design was used in this study as the independent variable had already existed. A cross-sectional survey research method was used in this design. According to Bless and Higson-Smith (2000), a cross-sectional survey design offers information about a population at a given point in time. It also allows the collection of information, opinions and perceptions from a relatively large number of subjects to allow generalizations to be made. The research design and method are therefore considered appropriate for this study as it was intended to gain immediate knowledgeand informant on the knowledge of the effect of regular exercises on maternal health among women of reproductive age in Ile-ife south west Nigeria State.
Population of the Study
The study population comprised of women of reproductive age (15-49 years) in Ile-ife south west Nigeria State. The estimated population was five hundred and eighteen thousand (518,000) (Census, 2006).
Sample and Sampling Technique
The total sample used in this study comprised one hundred and eighty nine (189) women of child-bearing age from the sampled local government areas. This sample size was determined using the formula for single population proportion (Julie, 2004).
CHAPTER FOUR
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
The socio-demographic characteristics of respondents are presented in Table 1. The result shows that the respondents were preponderantly of Christian religion (76.7%) and were traders or business women (54.5%). A majority of the respondents had tertiary education (69.4%) and were within the level of income of $100 to $200 per month (27.0%). The maternal-obstetrics characteristics of respondents are presented in Table 2. A majority of the respondents were nulliparous (39.2%) and commenced antenatal care within 1 to 3 months of pregnancy (28.6%).
Respondents had knowledge of pelvic floor exercise (37.0%), muscle strengthening exercise (51.3%), back care exercise (51.3%), and relaxation and breathing exercise (59.8%), respectively, as types of antenatal exercise (Table 3). However, swimming (21.7%) and cycling (20.6%) were the least known types of exercises in pregnancy. Table 4 shows.
CHAPTER FIVE
CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
Conclusion
Safe maternity with improved neonatal outcomes is pred- icated on proper antenatal care services. Exercise has become a fundamental aspect of women’s lives and an important constituent of antenatal care. However, the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists [3] recommended that pregnant women can exercise moderately for 30 minutes on most days of the week. In accordance with these recommendations, irrespective of the pregnant woman’s physical fitness level, exercise should be low-impact, moderate-intensity, and regular. A majority of Nigerian pregnant women demonstrated inad- equate knowledge about antenatal exercises. However, the women had positive attitude towards exercise. Knowledge about benefit of and contraindication to antenatal exercise significantly influenced the attitude towards exercise in pregnancy.
Recommendation
Based on the findings and conclusions, the research hereby recommend the following:
1) Provision of more health facilities to provide antenatal consultancy services for child bearing mothers.
2) There should be an organized transportation system from the pregnant women coming from far rural places on a fixed date to the service centers.
3) There should be a mobile antenatal clinic for mothers who cannot come to centers.
4) The charges on services provided should be reviewed downward to make it available for pregnant women who cannot afford high charges.
5) There should be meaningful incentives as regards those that attend antenatal services to the point of delivery. Incentives like provision of gifts like baby milk and cloths, free child delivery etc.
6) More trained medical personnel should be recruited.
7) Drugs should be made available and at affordable prices to the pregnant women.
References
- Palaniappan, “Role of antenatal care in safe motherhood,” Journal of the Indian Medical Association, vol. 93, no. 2, pp. 53– 54, 1995.
- O. Awusi, E. B. Anyanwu, and V. Okeleke, “Determinants of antenatal care services utilization,” Benin Journal of Postgradu- ate Medicine, vol. 11, no. 1, pp. 21–26, 2009.
- American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (ACOG)and Committee on Obstetric Practice, “‘Exercise during pregnancy and the postpartum period’. ACOG Committee Opinion Number 267,” Obstetrics & Gynecology, 99, no. 1, pp. 171–173, 2002.
- A. Wolfe and G. A. L. Davies, “Canadian guidelines for exercise in pregnancy,” Clinical Obstetrics and Gynecology, vol. 46, no. 2, pp. 488–495, 2003.
- Barakat, M. Pelaez, R. Montejo, M. Luaces, and M. Zakyn- thinaki, “Exercise during pregnancy improves maternal health perception: a randomized controlled trial,” American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, vol. 204, no. 5, pp. 402.e1–402.e7, 2011.
- W. Wang and B. S. Apgar, “Exercise duringpregnancy,” American Family Physician, vol. 57, no. 8, pp. 1846–1852, 1998.
