Impact of a simple health education program about antenatal care on knowledge, attitudes, subjective norms and intention of pregnant women

J Egypt Public Health Assoc. 2004;79(3-4):283-310.

Abstract

The aim of this study was to identify pregnant women practices and to assess the impact of simple health education program on knowledge attitudes, subjective norms and intentions to antenatal care of pregnant women The randomized post-test only control group design was used among 200 pregnant women attending Maternal and Child Health (MCH) centers. One hundred women represented the intervention group who received a simple health eduction program and another 100 women constituted the control group. The study demonstated that nearly the intervention and control group women were equal in sociodemographic characteristics as there was no statistically significant difference in any item studied. It was found that 92% of the intervention group women had high outcome belief that attending Ante-Natal Care (ANC) leads to early detection of dangerous signs of pregnancy compared to 77% of the control group. Also 88% of the intervention group women perceived the importance of early detection of dangerous signs compared to 75% of the control group. Also 95% of the intervention group women had high normative belief that their physician believe that they must go for check up during pregnancy compared to 87% of the control group. The study also clarified that 85% of the intervention group had high motivation to comply with their physicians compared to 73% of the control group. Only 43% of the control group had regular medical check up. The mean scores of indirect attitude, subjective norms, indirect subjective norms, intention and practice were highest for the intervention and control groups among those having more than 12 years of education. The mean score of indirect attitudes increased with increasing level of knowledge among both the intervention and control groups. The mean score of practice was highest among those having positive indirect attitudes among both the intervention and control group. The mean score of practice was highest among those having high indirect subjective norm either in the intervention or the control group.

Publication types

  • Randomized Controlled Trial

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Egypt
  • Female
  • Health Education*
  • Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice*
  • Humans
  • Intention*
  • Pregnancy
  • Prenatal Care*