Healthcare workers in Bojnourd, Iran, say postpartum self-care is shaped by interacting biological, psychological, social, and health-system factors, according to a qualitative study published in BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth.
The study, conducted in 2025, recruited forty healthcare workers, including public health experts, midwives, and general practitioners, through purposive sampling. Researchers collected data through semi-structured interviews and analyzed them using a hybrid inductive–deductive content analysis approach, then interpreted the emerging themes through the Biopsychosocial model.
The analysis identified six interrelated themes: barriers to postpartum self-care, facilitators of self-care, postpartum women’s multidimensional needs, strategies for improving self-care, educational resources and delivery approaches, and essential features of a postpartum self-care mobile application.
Participants described barriers spanning biological, psychological, social, and health-system domains. These included physical and mental health challenges, insufficient support, structural constraints, and cultural beliefs that affect how women care for themselves after childbirth.
Against these barriers, the healthcare workers highlighted key facilitators, notably family and professional support and continuous education. They also emphasized that women’s needs in the postpartum period are multidimensional, extending beyond physical recovery.
To improve support, participants called for integrated support strategies, improved follow-up services, and tailored educational resources. They also described what they considered essential features of a user-centered mobile application for postpartum self-care, positioning digital tools as one component of broader support.
The authors conclude that healthcare workers view postpartum self-care as a multidimensional issue shaped by interacting factors across the biopsychosocial and health-system domains. They state that the findings provide a foundation for designing integrated postpartum support interventions and may inform future digital health initiatives for postpartum women.
As a qualitative study of forty healthcare workers in a single Iranian city, the research captures provider perspectives rather than directly measuring outcomes among postpartum women. The published version is an early-access article, subject to further edits before the final Version of Record. The authors note that the findings may inform the design of future interventions, which remains a planned direction rather than a demonstrated result.
Subject of Research: Healthcare workers' perspectives on postpartum self-care and digital support strategies in Iran
Article Title: Healthcare workers’ perspectives on postpartum self-care and digital support strategies: a qualitative study
Article References: Jafari, Y., Shakibazadeh, E., Rabiei, R., Hosseini, S. H., Sadr, H., & Rajabzadeh, R. (2026). Healthcare workers’ perspectives on postpartum self-care and digital support strategies: a qualitative study. BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12884-026-10149-6
Image Credits: AI Generated
DOI: 10.1186/s12884-026-10149-6
Keywords: postpartum self-care, qualitative study, healthcare workers, Iran, digital health, mobile application, midwives, maternal health, biopsychosocial model, semi-structured interviews, Healthcare, workers
News Source: Ophelia Keating. (October 29, 2026). Healthcare workers map barriers and digital tools for postpartum self-care in Iran. Scienmag.
