Raghda Shukri1, Hashem Kilani2*, Jothi Clara3, Judith Norhana3, Lina Shakaman3
1University of Human Arts and Sciences, Saitama, Japan, Former Expert at Sultan Qaboos University in Oman, 2University of Jordan, Health and Recreation Department, Amman, Jordan, 3 Sultan Qaboos University, College of Nursing, Muscat, Oman
*Corresponding Author: Professor Hashem Kilani, [email protected]
ABSTRACT
Background: Postnatal period brings about numerous physiological and psychological changes in women. Exercise may have an influence on their health related fitness that may progress their wellbeing Objective: The purposes of this study were to assess the effectiveness of postnatal exercise program among Omani women on health related fitness components, and to determine the related influencing factors such as age, education, economic status and area of residency. Subjects and Methods: This experimental study was done on 70 primi-para post-natal women (45 days after delivery). The sample was randomly divided into experimental (n= 35) and control group (n=35). All women were assessed for their health status in terms of physical, mental and psychosocial statues for three times over six months period. The experimental group experienced a physical exercise training program and the control group was left without any intervention. Results: Results showed that there was a significant difference between the experimental and control groups in the Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) and the Body Fat Mass. The probability values were significant, P< 0.05. There were no significant differences in both groups to all psychosocial variables except for the age with variable of feeling comfortable and feeling tired. Also there was a significant difference concerning the educational level with feeling comfortable and feeling tired on the psychology scale and visiting friend’s variable on the social scale. No significant differences were observed among the means of educational level, the economic level, and residence categories, while the age variable had showed a significant difference in favor of the (>27 years) compared to the (23-27 years). Conclusion: It was concluded that exercise programs for postnatal women makes significant differences in the physical health. Exercise program for this group improves the BMR and the Body Fat Mass. It also improves the abdominal circumference, grip strength and gives better results in the flexibility test and sit up test. An important conclusion was that the Omani women are very enthusiastic and interested in doing physical exercise and care for their body image but conducting an exercise program in the postnatal period is hard to be implemented for so many reasons mainly cultural factors.
Keywords: Postnatal Exercise, Health, Omani Women
Citation: Shukri R, Kilani H, Clara J, Norhana J, Shakaman L. Effect of post-natal exercise program on the health status of Omani women. Canad J Clin Nutr 2016; 4 (2): 33-50.
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.14206/canad.j.clin.nutr.2016.02.04
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