A Study on Knowledge, Attitude and Practices of Female Multipurpose Health Workers (MPHW) on selected Components of Safe Motherhood Programme in the State of Maharashtra

The lifetime risk of maternal death in India refers to the risk of complications of pregnancies and child birth. The present Nurse midwife or Auxiliary Nurse Midwife plays the pivotal role in delivering the safe motherhood services, with this understanding the present study was undertaken by the investigator in the Maharashtra state.

A study was planned to assess knowledge, attitude and practices of FMPHW (Female Multipurpose Health Workers) in relation to essential Antenatal care of women, and to find out attitude of FMPHW in relation to selected components of essential care.

A non experimental; descriptive cross sectional study was carried out on 531 female multipurpose health workers of (tribal, tribal - non tribal and non tribal areas) Nashik district of Maharashtra. The random sampling technique was used to select the study subjects. A self prepared and pre tested semi structured questionnaire and observation check list was used to gather the data. The legal and ethical aspects were considered during the data collection. The descriptive statistics (frequency, percentage) and inferential statistics (t test) applied wherever required.

It was found that the mean score of knowledge was found to be similar in all the three areas (74 to 75). The mean score of attitude was highest (88) in the samples from tribal area as compared to other two areas, whereas the practice score of samples was less in tribal - non tribal areas than tribal and non tribal areas. There was a varied knowledge deficit and lack of practice was noted on various aspects of safe motherhood.

The female multipurpose health workers need adequacy of current knowledge and skills while providing essential antenatal care to the client in their allotted population. There is need to promote participants knowledge and practice is relation to care of pregnant women having bad obstetric history and pregnancy associated problems, and to minimize the gap between basic training to up to date skills by having on the job or hands on training.