Assessment Dietary Food Intake Habits and Physical Activity in Post-Partum Period

Background: Numerous health benefits are associated with achieving optimal diet and physical activity behaviors postpartum. So understanding of this pattern is an important health consideration. The aim of this study was to evaluate maternal dietary intake and physical activity habits during postpartum period. Subjects and Method: Design: A descriptive cross-sectional research design was used in this study. Setting: This study was conducted at the outpatient clinics to four hospitals chosen by random stratified cluster samples. Representing rural and urban areas in Damietta city namely Alazher, General,  Altakhasosy & Kafr-saad hospitals. Subjects: Purposive sample of 290 postpartum women. Tools of data collection: Three tools were designed and used: Tool (I): Structured interview sheet included three parts: Part (1): Socio-demographic, and reproductive data, Part (2): Assessment of postpartum women, Part (3): Questions related to women's knowledge. Tool (II): The Postpartum Diet Questionnaire and Tool (III): Postpartum physical activity Questionnaire. Results:  there was a positive correlation between mother’s knowledge about diet during post-partum period and overall physical activity significant correlation p<0.001. Sedentary women were highly significant association to overweight and obese (p=<0.001) and women compliance with overall physical activity tend to had normal weight. Conclusions: Healthy diet and physical activity were less among postpartum women yet shows that, a positive correlation between mother‘s knowledge about diet during post-partum period and overall physical activity significant correlation p.0<001. Strategies which employ more intensive support, to postpartum women, as opposed to diet & physical activity are an important consideration for future research. Recommendation:  Health education program is needed to raise awareness of primiparous women about the effect of nutritional habits on engagement in different physical activities during the postpartum period.