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Impact of Postpartum Home-Based Education on Maternal Self-Care Practices in Nigeria

Abstract

The postpartum period is a critical phase of maternal healthcare during which women undergo physical, emotional, and social changes that require appropriate self-care and continued healthcare support. Adequate maternal self-care after childbirth may promote recovery, support breastfeeding, improve personal hygiene, encourage appropriate nutrition and rest, facilitate medication adherence, and promote early recognition of postpartum complications. However, some mothers in Nigeria may experience inadequate postpartum support because of limited access to healthcare facilities, insufficient postnatal education, cultural practices, financial constraints, geographical barriers, household responsibilities, and limited knowledge of appropriate postpartum self-care. Postpartum home-based education provides an opportunity to deliver individualized maternal health information and practical support within the mother's home environment. Against this background, this study investigates the impact of postpartum home-based education on maternal self-care practices in Nigeria. The study will be anchored on the Health Belief Model, Social Cognitive Theory, and Self-Efficacy Theory. The Health Belief Model explains how mothers' perceptions of postpartum health risks, perceived severity of complications, perceived benefits of appropriate self-care, perceived barriers, and cues to action may influence their self-care practices. Social Cognitive Theory emphasizes observational learning, behavioural reinforcement, environmental influences, and social support in the development and maintenance of health behaviours. Self-Efficacy Theory emphasizes mothers' confidence in their ability to perform appropriate postpartum self-care, recognize danger signs, adhere to health recommendations, and seek professional care when necessary. Collectively, these theoretical perspectives provide a suitable framework for explaining how postpartum home-based education may influence maternal self-care practices in Nigeria. The study will adopt a quantitative quasi-experimental or analytical cross-sectional research design. The study population will comprise postpartum mothers who have recently delivered and are receiving postnatal or community maternal health services in selected urban and rural communities across Nigeria. A multistage sampling technique will be used to select states, local government areas, communities, healthcare facilities, and eligible postpartum mothers. Postpartum home-based education will be assessed using indicators such as number and frequency of home visits, duration of educational sessions, individualized counselling, information on maternal hygiene, nutrition, adequate rest, medication adherence, breastfeeding support, wound care where applicable, family planning, postpartum danger signs, mental wellbeing, physical activity, and appropriate healthcare-seeking. Maternal self-care practices will be assessed using indicators such as personal hygiene, appropriate nutrition and fluid intake, adequate rest and sleep, adherence to prescribed medications, appropriate wound or perineal care where applicable, breastfeeding practices, postpartum exercise where appropriate, attendance at recommended postnatal visits, recognition of warning signs, and timely healthcare-seeking when complications occur. Data will be collected using structured questionnaires, maternal self-care practice checklists, home-visit records, postnatal records, and relevant healthcare documents. Descriptive statistics will be used to summarize participants' characteristics, exposure to home-based education, and patterns of maternal self-care. Inferential statistical techniques, including chi-square tests, t-tests, correlation analysis, and logistic or multiple regression analysis where appropriate, will be used to determine the impact of postpartum home-based education on maternal self-care practices. Where a quasi-experimental design is adopted, self-care practice scores before and after the intervention may be compared to determine changes associated with home-based education. Diagnostic tests will also be conducted to assess the reliability, validity, and robustness of the findings. The study is expected to find that postpartum home-based education has a significant positive impact on maternal self-care practices in Nigeria. Mothers who receive structured and individualized education within the home environment are expected to demonstrate better adherence to recommended postpartum self-care practices than mothers receiving routine facility-based education alone. Home-based education may improve mothers' understanding of postpartum recovery, nutrition, hygiene, medication use, breastfeeding, wound or perineal care, and recognition of maternal danger signs. The opportunity for healthcare workers to assess the mother's home environment may also allow them to identify practical barriers to self-care and provide individualized solutions. In addition, family members may become more aware of the mother's postpartum needs and provide appropriate support. However, limited healthcare personnel, transportation and programme costs, large geographic coverage areas, cultural practices, household workload, inadequate family support, and inconsistent follow-up may limit the effectiveness of home-based education. The study therefore expects accessible, individualized, culturally appropriate, and continuous postpartum home-based education to contribute significantly to improved maternal self-care practices in Nigeria. The study is expected to contribute to the literature on postpartum home-based education, maternal self-care practices, postnatal care, postpartum recovery, maternal health education, community-based maternal healthcare, breastfeeding support, postpartum complication prevention, and public health in Nigeria. The findings will provide useful information to the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, National Primary Health Care Development Agency, state ministries of health, primary healthcare centres, hospitals, nurses, midwives, community health workers, maternal health organizations, development partners, and policymakers regarding strategies for strengthening postpartum care. The study will also provide evidence-based recommendations for integrating home-based maternal education into community postnatal services, strengthening community health worker follow-up, developing culturally appropriate educational materials, involving family members in postpartum support, improving referral systems, and ensuring continued maternal health support during the postpartum period across Nigeria.

Keywords: Postpartum home-based education, maternal self-care practices, postpartum mothers, postnatal care, maternal health education, community-based maternal healthcare, postpartum recovery, breastfeeding support, postpartum complications, maternal healthcare, Nigeria, public health.