ASSESSMENT OF ANXIETY AND QUALITY OF SLEEP IN POST-PARTUM MOTHERS: A ONE YEAR CROSS-SECTIONAL HOSPITAL-BASED DESCRIPTIVE STUDY.

Abstract

The cross-sectional descriptive study was to investigate level of anxiety and quality of sleep of postpartum mothers for a period of 1 year in hospital based setting. Participants were 200 postpartum mother who met various inclusion criteria that involves being 18-45 year of age, within 12 weeks of postpartum, and competent to give informed consent, and exclusion criteria that include severe mental illness, preexisting sleep disorders, or significant medical illness. Assessment of anxiety was performed with the help of a GAD-7 questionnaire, whileassessment of the quality of sleep used the PSQI. Respondent’s averagely reported a GAD-7 score of 8. Age ranged from 18 to 61 years, with BMI of 4 (SD 4. 5) and an average PSQI score of 12. 3 (SD 5. 2). Prevalence of clinically significant anxiety was 22%, and poor sleep quality was reported by 58% of participants. The findings also affirmed the increased rate of anxiety and sleep disorder among the postpartum mothers, stressing that there is a need to create awareness and find ways of improving the health status of mothers after birth.