Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice of Primigravida Women on Birth Preparedness

Preparedness for birth involves advance planning and preparation for delivery. Birth Preparedness (BP) includes preparation for normal delivery, readiness to deal with complications, and postnatal and newborn care. Inadequate knowledge and insufficient preparation for quick intervention in case of emergencies lead to a delay in receiving health services. This situation, wherein the potential for poor maternal and fetal outcomes is great, is an especially worrying concern for women of childbearing age.

This study aimed to assess the BP knowledge, attitude, and practice of primigravida women.

An exploratory descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted. Two hundred primigravida women constituted the study sample. A self-administered questionnaire was used to collect the data.

Approximately two-thirds of the primigravida women (65.0%) had a moderate level of knowledge of BP, and 96.5% had a favorable attitude toward BP. A good level of practice was observed in 58.5% of the primigravida women. Univariate analyses revealed that the level of knowledge had a significant and strong association with the level of attitude, whereas the level of practice showed a good but not statistically significant association with the level of attitude.

Primigravida women had a moderate level of BP knowledge, good BP practice, and a highly favorable attitude toward BP. Hence, antenatal care clinics are vitally important for pregnant women because they can provide BP education. Governmental institutions and their affiliates that are assigned to the sector of maternal health should develop strategies to improve BP at the individual and community levels.