Effects of traditional practices in the postpartum period on postpartum depression

Abstract

In this descriptive study, our aim was to assess the effects of traditional practices on postpartum depression. The participants were 461 Muslim mothers with infants aged between 2 weeks and 12 months, without a history of postpartum depression or other psychiatric problems and capable of communicating fluently. The participants were volunteers and were recruited from family health centers in urban Turkey between January 15 and April 15, 2015. Data were collected in a single face-to-face interview with each participant. Mothers in the research locality frequently have recourse to traditional practices in the postpartum period and the incidence of postpartum depression appears to be lower amongst those who use such practices.