Experience of Postpartum Active Duty Women in Training for the Fitness Assessment

Abstract

Abstract : Purpose: To explore the experiences of active duty women as they prepare for their fitness assessment after childbirth in order to develop a better understanding of this phenomenon. Design: This was phenomenological study and a Heideggerian hermeneutic approach was specifically used to interpret meaning in the experiences of active duty postpartum women. Methods: A purposive sampling method was used. Data were obtained through face-face audio-recorded interviews. Interviews were transcribed into text and then analyzed by a research team using an interpretive methodology informed by Heidegger Sample: Fourteen participants were recruited from two U.S. Air Force bases. Participants were all active duty Air Force women who were between 6 and 18 months postpartum. Analysis: A research team comprised of the PI and two of the AIs analyzed the transcribed test through a methodical process. This was an iterative process beginning with review of each transcript for commonalities. Finally, after re-review of all the transcripts and through discourse among the research team members, the researchers identified patterns that described the meanings of all of the experiences. Findings: Two overarching patterns emerged from the analysis: Striving to Perform under Pressure through Profound Life Transitions of Childbirth, and Seeking Understanding from Others. These patterns describe what it means to be an active duty woman preparing for a fitness assessment after childbirth. Implications for Military Nursing: Results of this study can inform future nursing interventions aimed at assisting women prepare for their postpartum fitness assessments while maintaining optimal health. Nurses could also use results to advised U.S. Air Force leaders in application of existing policy to better support childbearing active duty women.