Postpartum Dönemde Vücut Algısının Cinsel Yaşam Kalitesine Etkisi

Abstract

This research was conducted as adescriptive and cross-sectional study to examine the effect of women’s postpartum body image on their quality of sexual life. The research as conducted at Kastamonu Training and Research Hospital Gynecology outpatient clinic between 8 July 2022 and October 2022. 199 women who complated their sixth postpartum week were included in the study. Research data were collected using the Personal Information Form, Body Image Scale, and Sexual Quality of Life Scale. In the analysis of data, ‘ANOVA’ and ‘Tukey’ tests were used for measurement values that comply with normal distribution; ‘Mann-Whitney U’, ‘Kruskal-Wallis H’ test method and Bonferroni correction were used for measurement values that did not comply with normal distribution. Frequency tables and descriptive statistics were used to interpret the data. The average age of the women participating in the research is 30.96±5.79 (years). According to the research results, the average score of the Body Image Scale of women in the postpartum period is 142.81±22.26 (73.0-196.0), and the average score of the Quality of Sexual Life Scale is 73.85±19.69 (19.9-100.0) truck. Sexual Quality of Life Scale scores were evaluated according to women’s age (p=0.001), education level (p=0.001), employment status (p=0.016), marriage duration (p=0.0045), husband’s age (p=0.003) and education level (p=0.0013), number of pregnancies (p=0.024), satisfaction with physical appearance (p=0.001), postpartum communication with partners (p=0.000), number of sexual intercourses per week after birth (p=0.008), after birth positive evaluation of sexual well-being (p=0.000) and problems in sexual life (p=0.001) affect the results. There is a positive, week and significant relationship between postpartum body image and sexual quality of life (r=0.489; p<0.05). In line with research data; It can be said that postpartum body image is a factor affecting the quality of sexual life. Therefore, integrating body image and sexual quality of life assessment into postpartum health checks and care, incorporating counseling services into nursing care that will positively affect women’s body image in the postpartum period, involving partners in nursing care, it is recommended that studies with a high level of evidence be conducted to determine all factors that may affect body image and quality of sexual life.