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Published in: Archives of Women's Mental Health 3/2012

01-06-2012 | Original Article

Does activity matter: an exploratory study among mothers with preterm infants?

Authors: Shih-Yu Lee, Carol H. Grantham, Susan Shelton, Dana Meaney-Delman

Published in: Archives of Women's Mental Health | Issue 3/2012

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Abstract

The purpose of this study was to describe the daytime activity levels and their association with sleep, fatigue, depressive symptoms, and quality of life. Wrist actigraphy and questionnaires were used to examine 51 mothers with a preterm infant during their second week postpartum. Circadian activity rhythms (CAR) were less synchronized in these mothers; they experienced sleep disturbances, fatigue, depressive symptoms, and poor health-related quality of life (H-QOL). Compared to high-activity mothers, mothers with low activity levels slept less during nighttime but napped more during daytime, and reported more postpartum depressive symptoms. Further research is needed to examine the effect of low activity level and sleep loss on postpartum depression, and to develop interventions for improving rest/activity patterns for new mothers.
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Metadata
Title
Does activity matter: an exploratory study among mothers with preterm infants?
Authors
Shih-Yu Lee
Carol H. Grantham
Susan Shelton
Dana Meaney-Delman
Publication date
01-06-2012
Publisher
Springer Vienna
Published in
Archives of Women's Mental Health / Issue 3/2012
Print ISSN: 1434-1816
Electronic ISSN: 1435-1102
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00737-012-0275-1

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