Abstract
Background: Caesarean section is a major abdominal surgical procedure that may cause postoperative pain, fatigue, restricted mobility and dependence in activities of daily living. Planned early ambulation promotes functional recovery and helps prevent complications associated with prolonged immobility.
Aim: To evaluate the effectiveness of planned early ambulation on postoperative recovery among women following caesarean section.
Methods: A quantitative approach with a quasi-experimental, non-randomized control-group pre-test/post-test design was adopted. A total of 80 post-caesarean mothers were selected through convenient sampling and divided into experimental (n=40) and control (n=40) groups. The experimental group received planned early ambulation along with routine care, whereas the control group received routine care alone. Postoperative recovery was assessed using the Barthel Index Scale. Data were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics, including paired and independent t-tests and chi-square tests.
Results: The experimental group's mean recovery score increased from 5.625 to 79.875, with a mean difference of 74.24 (paired t=43.8269). In the control group, the mean increased from 7.75 to 52.00, with a mean difference of 44.25 (paired t=13.741). The post-test mean was higher in the experimental group (79.875 ± 9.506) than in the control group (52.00 ± 18.6671), with a between-group t-value of 8.9612.
Conclusion: Planned early ambulation demonstrated greater improvement in postoperative recovery compared with routine care alone. Structured and supervised early mobilization may be an effective nursing intervention to enhance functional recovery following caesarean section.
References
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- Comparison of post-test post-operative recovery score among women with cesarean section in experimental and control groups
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