A Quasi Experimental Study to Assess the Effectiveness of Planned Teaching Programme Regarding the Management of the Breast Feeding Problems among Postnatal Mothers in the Selected Hospitals of Punjab and Haryana

Breastfeeding is natural (physiological) and instinctive, and nearly all mothers do it. Breastfeeding is an art and a skill which needs to be learnt and mastered. Postnatal period is crucial and mothers need to be given more information regarding breastfeeding. Mothers have many doubts and fears about breastfeeding and caring for their young ones. With this aim the study was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of a planned teaching programme regarding management of breast feeding problems. Quantitative approach with a quasi experimental randomized comparison group research design was used. By convenient sampling technique 60 primigravida women were selected out of which 30 in experimental and 30 was in comparison group. Data were collected by using self administered structured knowledge questionnaire on management of breast feeding problems and it was analyzed by using descriptive and inferential statistics. Distribution of the postnatal mothers according to their demographic variable shows that maximum postnatal mothers (50.0%) were in age group of 24-26 years, 50.0% of them were belongs to Hindu religion, 41.7% were having secondary education, more than half of the postnatal mothers (71.6%) were housewife, 56.6% of them were belongs to nuclear family, maximum postnatal mothers (55.5%) were having family income of less than Rs.5000/- and majority of the postnatal mothers (65.0%) were primigravida. The effectiveness of planned teaching programme on management of breast feeding problems was analyzed by using paired t-test (t_{(29, 0.05)} = 31.687, 0.000) and unpaired t- test value (t_(58,0.05) = 10.612, 0.000) which was highly significant at 0.05 level. The chi square value showed that there was a significant association between the knowledge of primigravida women with their age (χ² (2, 0.05) = 8.077, 0.018*), educational status (χ² (2, 0.05) = 100.8, 0.002**), occupation (χ² (1, 0.05) = 7.105, 0.02) and parity (χ²(1, 0.05) = 7.377, 0.007*) at p<0.05 level. It also shows that there is no association of pretest level of knowledge with religion, type of family and family income.