The Effect Of Health Education Based On Classes For Expectant Mothers On Maternal And Child Health

Objectives:This study is describe status of maternal health(including knowledge, attitudes and activities) in Yanbian area; to analyzes the effect of maternal health education promoted by "classes for expectant mothers"; and to explore the influence of "classes for expectant mothers" on maternal and child health.Methods:A pre-post quasi-experiment without control group design was used. A total of 91 expectant mothers in Yanbian region who attend "classes for expectant mothers" were included in the study. All data are analyzed with SPSS 17.0.Results:(1)The average score of maternal health knowledge of the pregnant women in Yanbian was 13.19±4.07, the maternal attitudes was 8.11±1.83,the maternal activities was 22.14±3.21, and the proportion of which they possess the good knowledge, attitude and behavior was respectively 6.6%,49.5% and 7.7%.(2) A majority of pregnant women who never accept prenatal education accounted for 92.3%. The first access to acquire maternal health care was friends and relatives, which accounted for 30.8%, while by means of the classes for expectant mothers only took up 7.7%.(3) The comparison of the knowledge, attitudes and activities before and after the intervention showed that the pregnant women who had good knowledge of maternal health care increased from 6.6% to 37.4%, those who had good attitudes increased from 49.5% to 84.6% and those who had good activities increase from 7.7% to 28.6%. All of the 3 aspects had a significant difference before and after the intervention(P< 0.001); The differences before and after the intervention was statistically significant by means of the comparison of the knowledge, attitudes and activities.(4) After the intervention of classes for expectant mothers, the score of knowledge was positively correlated with the natural parturition, exclusive breastfeeding and the secretion volume of milk respectively (P<0.01), while there was a negative correlation between the score of maternal health care and the first lactation time, duration of lochia, postpartum hemorrhage, postpartum anemia, postpartum mastitis and the birthrate of macrosomia(P<0.05). There was no statistical significance between the score and the postpartum constipation, postpartum uterine infection incidence. In addition, there was a negative correlation between the score of attitudes and the postpartum anemia, postpartum mastitis (P<0.05); and the score of attitudes was positively correlated with the normal weight newborns (P< 0.05).In addition, the score of activities was positively correlated with the secretion volume of milk (P<0.05)(5) The knowledge, attitudes and activities were the significant predictors of the maternal and child health after the intervention of classes for the expectant mothers, of which the knowledge influences the way of parturition and lactation, milk secretion, the first lactation time, postpartum anemia and neonatal weight, etc. The attitudes had significant effect on postpartum mastitis, the activities had significant effect on the postpartum constipation.Conclusion:(l)The status of maternal health condition in Yanbian region was not good and needs to be improved.(2)The main access to acquire maternal health care were friends and relatives and the classes for the expectant mothers are not satisfied. With the participation of expectant fathers, We should pay more attention on the education pattern of the expectant fathers.(3)The score of knowledge, attitudes and activities increases after the intervention. However, there was a big gap between the rate of the knowledge acquisition and the rate of behavior formation. The overall level of behavior still needed to be improved.(4)The knowledge is positively correlated with the natural parturition, exclusive breastfeeding and the secretion volume of milk respectively. There was a negative relationship between the maternal health care and the first lactation time, duration of lochia, postpartum hemorrhage, postpartum anemia, postpartum mastitis and the birthrate of macrosomia. What’s more, there was a negative relationship between the attitudes and the postpartum anemia, postpartum mastitis and the score of attitudes is positively correlated with the normal weight newborns. In addition, the score of activities was positively correlated with the secretion volume of milk. All of above illustrated the good knowledge, attitudes and activities leading to good maternal and child health.(5) The knowledge, attitudes and activities were significant predictors of maternal and child health. Therefore, it is essential to pay more attention to the maternal education and ensure the quality of life and maternal and children health.