Assessment of physical activity and related factores in breast feeding mothers

To study the knowledge, attitude and practice in breast feeding mothers in the field of physical activities and related factors on exercises. Tow hundred breast feeding mothers referring health and treatment centers of Tehran have been random selected from five centers through the questionnaire and their knowledge, attitude and related factors on exercise were studied. Regarding practice, Global physical activity questionnaire from World Health organization was used evaluating the three fields of work, exercise, leisure time, going from one place to another, level of physical activity. Data were analyzed using SPSS Statistical software after being collected. According to the data from this research, 74.5% of mothers were highly aware while 80.5% had positive attitude toward exercising during lactation. In term of physical exercise only 14% were performing some type of sport activity. Regarding physical activity, 58% of the subjects had average physical activity among the total activities in all three fields. As well the study showed that the average physical activity among lactating mothers in the field of work was 38 min per day, going from one place to another using bicycle or walking for 15 min per day and 5 min per day of exercise in the field of sport activities.Among the most important factors of having no sport activity the reasons were having no enough time, having small children, giving no importance to sport activities and lack of exercise space for women respectively. However most of breast feeding mothers in this study had high knowledge and positive attitude toward the benefits of exercises during lactation, their activity level was so limited. So it is recommended that health employees, especially those in health and treatment centers should encourage mothers to perform and follow both health behaviors, namely exercise and breast feeding and arrange short term exercise plans for lactating mothers in post labor and lactation care services. Further researches on the effects of health training models on exercises in lactating mothers seem to be necessary.