Assessing Knowledge and Attitude towards Family Planning Among Postnatal Mothers at Community Level in Nuapada District, Odisha

Abstract

Background: removal of whole and addition of this - Postnatal care and family planning are essential for promoting maternal and child health after childbirth. Adequate knowledge of maternal and newborn care, breastfeeding, danger signs, contraception, and birth spacing supports informed decision-making. However, inadequate knowledge and misconceptions may limit the effective use of postnatal and family planning services. Structured health education can strengthen knowledge and promote appropriate postnatal care and family planning practices.

Methods: A quantitative pre-experimental, one-group pre-test–post-test design was conducted among 30 adolescents selected through purposive sampling from selected residential colleges in Chhattisgarh. Menstrual hygiene knowledge was assessed using a self-structured questionnaire. Participants received a structured adolescent-centred menstrual health education intervention, followed by a post-test assessment. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and a paired t-test.

Results: Before the intervention, 18 participants (60.0%) had inadequate knowledge and 12 (40.0%) had average knowledge, with none demonstrating adequate knowledge. Following the intervention, 23 participants (76.7%) achieved an adequate level of knowledge and 7 (23.3%) had average knowledge; none remained in the inadequate category. The reported paired t-value was 5.83, which exceeded the critical value of 2.045 at the 5% level of significance, demonstrating a statistically significant improvement in menstrual hygiene knowledge following the intervention.

Conclusion: The adolescent-centred menstrual health education intervention demonstrated a significant improvement in menstrual hygiene knowledge among adolescents. Incorporating structured, adolescent-responsive menstrual health education into residential college and adolescent health programmes may help address knowledge gaps and promote informed menstrual health and hygiene practices.