“A Direct Interventional Study to Assess the Effectiveness of Early Mobilization Program on Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice Regarding Prevention of Postoperative Complications among Abdominal Surgical Patients in Medical Surgical Ward, Rama Hospital and Research Center, Mandhana, Kanpur”.

Background: Postoperative immobility following abdominal surgery can contribute to pulmonary complications, venous thrombo embolism, reduced muscle strength, delayed gastrointestinal recovery and loss of functional independence. Early mobilization is an important component of Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) pathways. However, successful mobilization requires patient knowledge, positive attitudes, appropriate nursing support and progressive supervised activity.
Aim: To assess the effectiveness of a structured early mobilization programme on knowledge, attitude and practice regarding prevention of postoperative complications among abdominal surgical patients.
Methods: A quantitative pre-experimental one-group pretest–posttest design was used. A sample of 60 abdominal surgical patients was considered. Baseline assessment included a demographic data sheet, a 20-item structured knowledge questionnaire, a 10-item attitude scale and an observation-based practice checklist. The intervention comprised individualized education, demonstration and return demonstration of breathing exercises, ankle pumps, quadriceps exercises, bed mobility, sitting, standing and progressive ambulation. Mobilization was individualized according to hemodynamic stability, pain, fatigue, oxygenation and surgical restrictions. Pretest and posttest scores were compared using paired-samples t-tests. Associations between selected demographic variables and outcome categories were assessed using Pearson's chi-square test.
Results: In the synthetic analysis prepared for statistical demonstration, the mean knowledge score increased from 9.93 ± 2.48 before the programme to 15.08 ± 2.89 after the programme, with a mean improvement of 5.15 points (t₅₉ = 24.40, p < 0.001). Mean attitude score increased from 22.65 ± 3.88 to 28.67 ± 4.50, with a mean improvement of 6.02 points (t₅₉ = 23.55, p < 0.001). Mean practice score increased from 12.78 ± 2.59 to 17.20 ± 2.58, representing a mean improvement of 4.42 points (t₅₉ = 19.78, p < 0.001). The synthetic association analysis showed a significant association between age and posttest knowledge (χ² = 8.125, df = 3, p = 0.043) and between postoperative practice and type of surgery (χ² = 4.202, df = 1, p = 0.040).
Conclusion: A structured early mobilization programme incorporating education, demonstration, supervised activity and progressive ambulation has the potential to improve postoperative knowledge, attitude and practice. Early mobilization should be individualized and integrated into routine postoperative nursing care. Controlled multicenter studies are needed to determine its independent effect on clinical postoperative complications.

Early mobilization; abdominal surgery; postoperative complications; knowledge; attitude; practice; nursing intervention; ERAS; postoperative rehabilitation

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