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Nepalese primiparous mothers' knowledge of newborn care
Author(s) -
Shrestha Sharmila,
Adachi Kumiko,
Petrini Marcia A.,
Shuda Akihiro,
Shrestha Sarita
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
nursing and health sciences
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.563
H-Index - 47
eISSN - 1442-2018
pISSN - 1441-0745
DOI - 10.1111/nhs.12193
Subject(s) - breastfeeding , medicine , socioeconomic status , family medicine , outpatient clinic , knowledge level , cross sectional study , anxiety , obstetrics , nursing , pediatrics , environmental health , population , psychology , psychiatry , mathematics education , pathology
A cross‐sectional study was carried out to explore the knowledge level of newborn care and to investigate the relationship between newborn‐care knowledge and selected demographic variables among primiparous mothers. It was carried in outpatient department of a maternity and women's hospital in K athmandu, N epal with 276 primiparous mothers between 38 and 42 weeks of gestation. Data were collected during the antenatal period with using two instruments: the Newborn‐care K nowledge Q uestionnaire and S tate‐ T rait A nxiety I nventory for A dults. Participants had a moderate level of knowledge on newborn care (56%), and among its four components, participants had lowest knowledge in breastfeeding (44%) and adequate knowledge (78%) of immunization. Maternal education and socioeconomic status had a significant, positive association with newborn‐care knowledge. Newborn‐care knowledge was strongly predicted by anxiety. This is the first study to examine the maternal levels of knowledge of newborn care in N epal. This study identified specific knowledge gaps in newborn care among primiparous mothers. Moreover, the results suggest the need of maternal‐education programs in improving the health and well‐being of mothers and newborns.