EFFECTIVENESS OF AN AWARENESS PROGRAM ON THE KNOWLEDGE REGARDING WARNING SIGNS OF HIGH-RISK PREGNANCY AMONG ANTENATAL MOTHERS

Abstract

High-risk pregnancies contribute significantly to maternal and fetal morbidity and mortality. Early recognition of warning signs is essential for timely intervention. However, many antenatal mothers lack awareness of these signs. The objectives of this study is to  evaluate the effectiveness of an awareness program in improving the knowledge regarding warning signs of high-risk pregnancy among antenatal mothers. A pre-experimental one-group pretest-posttest design was used. The study was conducted among 150 antenatal mothers selected through purposive sampling at hospital  A structured knowledge questionnaire was administered before and after the awareness program. Data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The findings revealed that in the pretest phase, 72% of mothers had poor knowledge (scoring 0–4), and only 28% had average knowledge (5–8 score). A substantial 64% of mothers achieved a good knowledge level, and 36% scored in the average range in the posttest phase conducted for the experimental group after  the educational intervention. Importantly, none of the participants remained in the poor knowledge category. This data clearly indicates that the nurse-led educational intervention provided to the experimental group was effective in significantly improving their understanding of warning signs related to high-risk pregnancy. The awareness program significantly improved the knowledge of antenatal mothers regarding warning signs of high-risk pregnancy. Health education initiatives should be integrated into routine antenatal care to promote maternal and fetal health.

KEYWORDS:

High-risk pregnancy, warning signs, awareness program, antenatal mothers, maternal health.