The effectiveness of an internet-based support program on maternal self-efficacy, postpartum depression and social support for primiparous women during the COVID-19 pandemic: Randomized controlled trial

Yuting Zhang; Jiemin Zhu; Sen Li; Lingling Huang; Qiyu Fang; Xujuan Zheng

doi:10.3389/fpubh.2023.1035872

The effectiveness of an internet-based support program on maternal self-efficacy, postpartum depression and social support for primiparous women during the COVID-19 pandemic: Randomized controlled trial

Front Public Health. 2023 Feb 9:11:1035872. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2023.1035872. eCollection 2023.

Authors

Yuting Zhang¹, Jiemin Zhu², Sen Li³, Lingling Huang¹, Qiyu Fang¹, Xujuan Zheng¹

Affiliations

¹ School of Nursing, Health Science Centre, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China.
² Department of Nursing, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China.
³ Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Peking University People's Hospital, Beijing, China.

Abstract

Background: Many primiparous women usually encounter various parenting and mental health issues after childbirth. The effects of intervention based on internet platform on parenting and mental health outcomes for Chinese first-time mothers remain unknown during the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, our research aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of an internet-based support program (ISP) on maternal self-efficacy (MSE), postpartum depression (PPD) and social support for primiparous women amid the pandemic.

Methods: A multicenter randomized controlled trial (RCT) was conducted. From May 2020 to March 2021, 242 primiparous women were recruited in the maternity wards of two hospitals in Shenzhen City, China and randomly assigned to the intervention group and the control group. Women in control group (n = 118) received the routine postpartum care, and women in intervention group (n = 118) accessed to the ISP intervention (expert education and peer support) and routine postpartum care. Intervention outcomes were measured at baseline before randomization (T0), post-intervention (T1), and three-month follow up (T2) through questionnaires. The chi-square (χ²), the independent sample t-test and the repeated measures multivariate analysis of covariance were performed, and the two-tailed p-value <0.05 was regarded as statistically significant.

Results: In comparison with women in the control group, women in the intervention group had a significantly higher score of MSE at T1 (mean: 73.53, standard deviation [SD]: 6.21) and at T2 (mean: 72.90, SD: 6.73); and a lower score of PPD at T1(mean: 6.03, SD: 2.50) and T2 (mean: 5.70, SD: 2.23); and a higher score of social support at T1 (mean: 45.70, SD: 3.73), but no significant difference at T2 (mean: 42.90, SD: 3.29).

Conclusions: The effect of ISP was evaluated to significantly increase the levels of MSE, social support, and to alleviate PPD symptoms for Chinese first-time mothers. As an effective and easily accessible intervention, ISP could become a significant source for health professionals to support primiparous women on parenting and mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Trial registration: The trial is registered at the Chinese Clinical Trials Registry (ChiCTR2000033154).

Keywords: internet-based intervention; maternal self-efficacy; postpartum depression; primiparous women; randomized controlled trial; social support.

Publication types

Randomized Controlled Trial
Multicenter Study
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

COVID-19* / epidemiology
Depression, Postpartum* / diagnosis
Depression, Postpartum* / psychology
Depression, Postpartum* / therapy
Female
Humans
Internet
Self Efficacy
Social Support

Associated data

ChiCTR/ChiCTR2000033154

Grants and funding

XZ was supported by the Natural Science Foundation of China youth project (grant no. 81703234) and the General Program of Stable Support Plan for Universities in Shenzhen City (grant no. 20200804101756002).