Evaluation of puerperal women's dysfunctional belief and applications related to their care during pregnancy, delivery and post-natal period

Aim: This study has been carried out descriptively with the purpose of evaluating the point of view towards the traditional applications directed to the puerperal women and newborns during pregnancy, delivery and post-natal period. Material and Method: The scope of the study consists of four family health centers in Erzurum chosen according to their socio-economic characteristics. A sample group has been chosen which represents the scope of the study, among all the registered puerperal women in FilizDolunay Family Health Center, Şerif Efendi Family Health Center. Sample of the study consists of 430 puerperal women. "Questionnaire Form related to Puerperal Women's Socio-demographic Characteristics" concerning puerperal women's demographic characteristics, pregnancy story and traditional method application belief and "Dysfunctional Belief and Applications Scale" developed by Yalçın were used with the purpose of data collection. Appropriate analyzes were used in data evaluation. Findings: Puerperal women's dysfunctional belief and applications taken into the scope of the study were evaluated with DBAS (dysfunctional belief and applications scale) points. According to DBAS point average, puerperal women's dysfunctional applications sub-dimension point average related to pregnancy is 84.55±14.00, dysfunctional applications sub-dimension point average related to delivery is 31.12±5.27, dysfunctional applications sub-dimension point average related to puerperal period is 30.41±6.24, dysfunctional applications sub-dimension point average related to child care 65.13±13.29 and total point average of the scale has been found as 211.23±33.94. It has been found out that factors such as being a university graduate between 24-29 women age group, first marriage age between 21-25, 1 to 5 years of marriage, living in a city center, more income-less expense, having a spouse between 24-29, both civil and religious marriage, having a social security, living in an elementary family, number of pregnancy, number of children alive, number of miscarriage, first pregnancy between 26-35, 1 to 12 months between pregnancies, having planned pregnancy, delivery in company with medical officials, getting information related to childcare during pregnancy, delivery and post-natal periods, applying to a doctor in the first place when medical problems occur affected the point average of dysfunctional belief and applications related to pregnancy, delivery and post-natal period of puerperal women (p<0.05). Result: According to puerperal women's total point average of the scale, it has been determined that there are not tendencies towards dysfunctional traditional applications and their knowledge level is not well. It has been found out that socio-demographic characteristics of puerperal women and their spouses affected their level of attitude and knowledge related to dysfunctional belief and applications in a positive way.