Effectiveness of Educational Intervention on New Born Care among Primi Antenatal Mothers Attending Selected Primary Health Centres at Visakhapatnam

Abstract

Introduction: The neonatal period is the most vulnerable time for a child s survival. Children face the highest risk of dying in their first month of life. The newborn s growth and survival is totally dependent upon their mothers and caregivers. Therefore, it is important that mothers have adequate knowledge on caring for her newborn. Objectives: To assess the pre - test knowledge of primi antenatal mothers attending selected primary health centres on newborn care in the experimental group and control group, Evaluate the effectiveness of structured teaching programme on new born care among primi antenatal mothers of the experimental group, Compare the pre - test and post- test knowledge of primi antenatal mothers on newborn care in the experimental group and control group and associate the post- test knowledge scores on newborn care among primi antenatal mothers with selected demographic variables. Analysis and Results: The present study was undertaken in Primary Health Centre, Sabbavaram and Primary Health Centre, Pendurthy on 500 primi antenatal mothers selected by convenient sampling technique. Quantitative research approach with two group s pre - test and post - test quasi experimental design was used for the study. Findings revealed a mean knowledge difference of 14.61 (t = 26.77). Pretest and posttest difference calculated by using Extended McNemar s test is c2=195.88 which depicted a significant improvement in the knowledge levels in the experimental group after the educational intervention. Significant association was found between increased age, higher education, higher family income, mothers in extended families, mothers who attended programme on newborn care and increased posttest knowledge scores of primi antenatal mothers on new born care in the experimental group. Conclusion: Education intervention improves one s knowledge significantly and the health care team plays a vital role in imparting and improving the knowledge of mothers attending the primary health centre. newline