Educational Intervention about Awareness of Preconceptional care: on Impact Among Bachelor Students
Authors: Dhakal K 
Published: July 2024

Introduction: Preconception care is just as important as prenatal care to reduce adverse pregnancy outcomes such as maternal and infant mortality, preterm births, and low birth weight infants. Awareness means Possession of information about preconceptional care and its components like diet, avoidance of alcohol and smoking, use of folic acid, prevention and management of risk factor related to pregnancy. The aim of the study was to assess the awareness on preconceptional care among bachelor level students before and after educational intervention
Methods: A one group pre-test post-test (pre-experimental) study on "Impact of Educational Intervention on Awareness Regarding Preconceptional care Among Bachelor Level Students" was conducted to find out the effectiveness of educational intervention on awareness regarding preconceptional care dated September 2009 to June 2010. The study adopted one group pre-test post-test (pre-experimental) design. Setting for the study was Pashupati Multiple College, Chabahil, Kathmandu. Total of 40 students from bachelor level 1st year (Arts, Major English) were taken by using purposive sampling. The self administered semistructred questionnaire was administered to measure their awareness on preconceptional care before and after educational intervention. The collected data was analyzed by using descriptive and inferential statistics such as frequency, percentage, mean, standard deviation between pre test and post test. Paired t-test was used to find out the difference in awareness at 0.05 level of significance. Statistical package for social science [SPSS] version 12 was used to manage and analyze data. The respondents were between 18 to 30 years of age groups. Out of 40 respondents 57.5% were male and 42.5 were female. Most of the respondents that is 92.5% respondents were unmarried.
Results: Only 27.5% respondents knew the meaning of pre conceptional care in pre-test, after intervention it was increased by 42.5%. Half that is 50% of the respondents answered that diet containing carbohydrate, protein and fat is essential for women for the preparation of being pregnant before intervention; it was reached up to 82.5% after educational
Conclusion: Over all study findings reveal that there is a significant increase in the awareness in all components of preconceptional care after educational intervention. Therefore, it is concluded that educational intervention on preconceptional care can bring significant increase in awareness of bachelor level students. Further, it is recommended that similar type of educational package should be incorporatedin college level to increase the awareness on preconceptional care among reproductive age populationintervention. Only 15% of the respondents answered folic acid reduces the risk of physical defect in growing fetus in pre-test, it was reached up to 82.5% after educational intervention in post-test. Nearly half that is 45% of the respondents knew that blood sugar should be in control in diabetes women before conception in pretest, after intervention it was increased by 65% in post test. Out of total respondents, 50% respondents obtained fair awareness score and 50% respondents obtained poor awareness score in pre test, after intervention 55% of the respondents got fair awareness score and 45% of the respondents got good awareness score in post test. The grand mean of the mean awareness on preconceptional care regarding the general concept, health promotion, risk factor assessment was 12.41 with standard deviation 4.82 in pre test. Similarly the grand mean of all above mentioned item was 19.89 with standard deviation 4.20 in post test. Research hypothesis states that there will be a significant difference on awareness on preconceptional care among bachelor level students between pre and post educational intervention was tested using paired t-test which was found significant (p<0.05) at 0.05 levels.