Study on knowledge, attitudes and practices regarding fear of childbirth among primigravid women in Monaragala MOH area

Abstract

Background: Woman all around the world give birth every day in different circumstances and within different cultures. While child birth is commonly regardless as a natural process, women expect to obtain a definite type of care. Women’s expectations and ultimately their overall satisfaction are greatly relied on their conceptualization of what comprise normal delivery and the huge amount of socio-economic and behavioral factors related to their birthing experience. In general, the study was focus on three parameters to clearly understand the issues. They are knowledge, attitudes, and practices. Objective: The study was aimed to assess the knowledge, attitude, and practices regarding fear of primigravid mothers on childbirth. Method: This community based descriptive, cross sectional study was carried out for a period of one year, among primigravid mothers in Monaragala MOH area, Monaragala, Sri Lanka. Result: 223 pregnant mothers were included in the study, of which 105 (47.08%) were primigravid mothers. Among study population 54.29% were educated above A/L, 29% up to A/L, 23.81% up to O/L and 7.62% up to grade 5. From the study we assessed the knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding fear of child birth among primigravid mothers. Majority of the population had good level of knowledge on normal vaginal delivery (95.2%), knowledge on cesarean delivery (90.5%), but knowledge on instrumental delivery was 60%. The responders had good attitude regarding child birth (53.92%), 74.28% of the mothers had good practices regarding child birth.Conclusion: In this study a sample of 105 primigravid mothers were taken in the selected clinics in Monaragala MOH area. Overall knowledge, practices and attitudes regarding child birth was adequate among study sample. Even though such, several aspects of knowledge regarding complications of normal vaginal delivery, cesarean delivery and instrumental delivery is seems to be less which contributes to the fear of child birth of pregnant mothers. Negative attitudes regarding child birth also has an impact on fear about child birth. Effective education, building positive attitudes and practices should be included in safe motherhood and child birth.