A Descriptive Study to Assess the Knowledge and Belief Regarding Antenatal Care among Antenatal Mothers in Selected Hospitals of District S.A.S Nagar, Punjab 2011-2012

 

Shivani Rai

Assistant Professor, Silver Oaks College of Nursing, Village Abhipur, PO Khizrabada,

Ditrict S.A.S Nagar (Punjab) - 140109

 

ABSTRACT:

Antenatal care is a type of preventive healthcare with the goal of providing regular check-ups that allow doctors or midwives to treat and prevent potential health problems throughout the course of the pregnancy while promoting healthy lifestyles that benefit both mother and child. The World Health Organization (WHO) reported that in 2015 around 830 women died every day from problems in pregnancy and childbirth. The objective of this descriptive study was to assess the knowledge and belief regarding antenatal care among antenatal mothers in selected hospitals of District S.A.S Nagar, Punjab. A descriptive research design was used to assess knowledge and belief regarding antenatal care among 200 antenatal mothers admitted or attending antenatal OPD in selected hospitals of District S.A.S Nagar, Punjab. The findings revealed that the mothers had 18.5 of overall total mean knowledge and a median of 19 with standard deviation of 5.2. Knowledge were found to be adequate in 25%(50), moderately adequate in 50.5% (101) and inadequate in 24.5% (49). The overall total mean score for belief was 14.5 and median 15.5 with a standard deviation of 7.4. Only 9% (18) mothers had positive belief, 63.5% (127) had negative belief and 27.5% (55) had neutral belief regarding antenatal care. Statistically positive correlation was found between (r=0.80) knowledge  and belief. There was significant association between knowledge of the antenatal mothers and their occupation, type of family, dietary pattern, gravida, source of information. There was significant association between belief of the antenatal mothers and their education, type of family, dietary pattern, month of pregnancy, gravida, source of information. The study concluded that there is a lack of adequate knowledge regarding antenatal care among antenatal mothers and some of the misconceptions still prevails related to the antenatal care.

 

 

 

INTRODUCTION :

Antenatal motherhood is a divine endowment that nature has bestowed exclusively upon women. Since time immemorial, pregnancy has been bringing a magical feeling to the would be antenatal mothers. All human life on the planet is born of a woman.

 

Antenatal care is a type of preventive healthcare with the goal of providing regular check-ups that allow doctors or midwives to treat and prevent potential health problems throughout the course of the pregnancy while promoting healthy lifestyles that benefit both mother and child.^[1] During check-ups, pregnant women receive medical information over maternal physiological changes in pregnancy, biological changes, and prenatal nutrition including prenatal vitamins. Recommendations on management and healthy lifestyle changes are also made during regular check-ups. The availability of routine prenatal care, including prenatal screening and diagnosis, has played a part in reducing maternal death rates and miscarriages as well as birth defects, low birth weight, neonatal infections and other preventable health problems. Antenatal care should be initiated as soon as there is reasonable likelihood of pregnancy. This may be as early as few days after a missed period.

 

The World Health Organization (WHO) reported that in 2015 around 830 women died every day from problems in pregnancy and childbirth. Only 5 of the women who died lived in high income countries, the rest of the women lived in low income countries.^[2]

 

The WHO recommends that all pregnant women should receive four antenatal visits to spot and treat problems and to get immunizations. Although antenatal care is important for improving the health of the mother and baby, many women do not receive four visits.^[3]

 

Maternal mortality is unacceptably high. In 2010, 287 000 women died during and following pregnancy and childbirth. Almost all of these deaths occurred in low-resource settings, and most could have been prevented.^[4]

 

Special bulletin on maternal mortality in India (2009) reports that India has the highest number of maternal deaths in the world. The national maternal mortality rate is 212 per 100,000 live births. There is disparity between states, and some states far exceed national MMR, including Assam (480) and Uttar Pradesh (440). The majority of the deaths are preventable through safe deliveries and adequate maternal care. Hence it is very essential for the pregnant women to have adequate knowledge regarding antenatal care and to have a positive belief regarding the same. The objective of this study was to assess the knowledge and belief of the antenatal women regarding antenatal care and to correlate their knowledge and belief.^[5]

 

MATERIAL AND METHODS:

This was a non-experimental descriptive study to assess knowledge and belief regarding antenatal care among antenatal mothers admitted or attending OPD at Civil Hospital Kharar (S.A.S Nagar), Civil Hospital Phase 6 S.A.S Nagar and Indus super specialty hospital Phase 3B2 S.A.S Nagar, Punjab. Antenatal mothers who agreed to participate in the study were recruited by non-probability purposive sampling. Subjects were provided with explanation about the purpose of the study, and an informed verbal consent was obtained from them. Antenatal mothers with pregnancy associated complications were excluded from the study. Subjects were requested to complete the structured knowledge questionnaire and five-point likert scale. The structured questionnaire consisted of 30 items while the likert scale comprised 15 statements. In knowledge questionnaire, a score above 75% were categorized as adequate knowledge while 50-75% and below 50% were categorized as moderately adequate and inadequate knowledge respectively. In likert scale, a score above 80% were categorized as positive belief while 60-80% and below 60% were categorized as neutral and negative belief respectively. The tool was translated in Hindi and Punjabi. The reliability of the tool was established by using split half method (r = 0.9). Study subjects comprised of 200 antenatal mothers and data was collected in December, 2012. Subjects who participated in the study completed the questionnaire during their stay in the hospital or while visiting the antenatal OPD at respective hospitals.

 

RESULTS:

Data was verified and analysed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). Results were valuated using percentage value, mean and standard deviation. Comparisons between categorical variables were done using the chi square test. Comparisons between continuous variables were made using correlation. A p value < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.

 

Fig. 1 represents the percentage distribution of mothers according to their belief regarding antenatal care.

Table 1.Socio demographic data

 

 

Tab 2.Mean, median and SD of knowledge and belief score of study subjects.

 

 

Tab 3. Frequency and percentage distribution of antenatal mothers according to their knowledge level

 

Tab 4. Areawise analysis of mother’s knowledge regarding antenatal care

 

 

Tab 5. Correlation of knowledge and belief of antenatal mothers

 

Tab 6. Association of knowledge and belief with selected socio- demographic variables

 

DISCUSSION:

Description of sample characteristics:

As represented in Tab.1 Out of 200 study subjects, 65% (130) of the antenatal mothers belongs to 21-25 age group. With regard to religion, 67.5% of the antenatal mothers were Hindu. Majority of the mothers i.e46.5% had higher secondary education. With regard to occupation 65% of the antenatal mothers were housewives. 32.5% antenatal mothers had their monthly family income between Rs. 5001-10,000. 50.5% of the antenatal mothers belongs to nuclear family. 64% of the antenatal mothers were vegetarian. 38.5% of the antenatal mothers were in 2nd trimester of their pregnancy. 70% of the antenatal mothers were primigravida. Only 56% of the antenatal mothers had received information regarding antenatal care from their doctor or nurse.

 

The study was carried out to assess the knowledge and belief regarding antenatal care among antenatal mothers which revealed that the mothers had a total mean knowledge score of 18.5 ± 5.2 (Tab. 2) and only 25% of the antenatal mothers had adequate knowledge as depicted in Tab. 3. The total mean beief score of antenatal mothers was 14.5 ± 7.4 (Tab. 2) and majority of the antenatal mothers (63.5%) had negative belief regarding antenatal care as represented in Fig. 1. Area wise analysis of knowledge (Tab 4) predicted that the antenatal mothers had much knowledge in the areas of antenatal check up, diet, activity & rest while they had least knowledge regarding travelling, coitus, hygiene and danger signs during pregnancy.

 

Correlation/Association of demographic variables with knowledge and belief :

As depicted in Tab.5  and Tab. 6, Statistically significant positive correlation was found between knowledge and belief. Significant associations were found between knowledge and occupation, type of family, dietary pattern, gravida and source of income while belief was found to be significantly associated with education, type of family, dietary pattern, month of pregnancy, gravida and source of income (P<0.05).

 

The findings of the study concluded that only 1/4^th of antenatal mothers had adequate knowledge regarding antenatal care. Regarding the belief of the mothers, there still exists some misconception such as fetal movements on the right side indicates a boy baby and iron tablets consumption causes birth of a darken baby. Health education should be provided and these aspects are to be taken into consideration while developing appropriate comprehensive health education strategies.

 

REFERENCES:

1.       https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prenatal_care

2.       Global, regional, and national levels and trends in maternal mortality between 1990 and 2015, with scenario-based projections to 2030: a systematic analysis by the UN Maternal Mortality Estimation Inter-Agency Group. Alkema L, Chou D, Hogan D, Zhang S, Moller AB, Gemmill A, et al. Lancet. 2016; 387 (10017): 462-74

3.       http://www.who.int/gho/maternal_health/reproductive_health/antenatal_care_text/en/

4.       WHO 2010, ‘Trends in maternal mortality in India’, viewed on 12th feb, 2012 <http://www.who.int/gho/maternal_health/mortality/maternal_mortality_text/en/index.html>

5.       UNICEF 2009, ‘Extreme risk for new borns and pregnant women in developing countries’, viewed on 2nd feb, 2012 <http://www.unicef.org/india/resources_4749.htm>

 

 

 

 

Received on 02.05.2017           Modified on 20.08.2017

Accepted on 11.09.2017         © A&V Publications all right reserved