Effect of Nursing Educational Program on Exclusive Breastfeeding of Pregnant Adolescents Attending Antenatal Clinic at Primary Healthcare Centers, in Zaria Metropolis, Nigeria

Abstract

Adolescent mothers are at increased risk of having preterm birth, low-birth-weight babies and low knowledge of exclusive breastfeeding.  The study aimed to evaluate the effect of nursing educational programmes on knowledge and practice of exclusive breastfeeding among  adolescent mothers attending Antenatal clinics at PHCs in the Zaria metropolis. The study adopted a quasi-experimental study design,  the Controlled Interrupted Time Series (CITS) approach; to allow for the evaluation of breastfeeding competence from the third trimester  of pregnancy through their various postpartum visits to Primary Healthcare Centers for immunization up to the sixth-month postpartum period. The participants were selected using a multistage sampling technique to obtain data from 302 adolescent mothers assigned to  the study and control groups that is; 151 participants to each group. Data were collected using a structured and validated interviewer- administered questionnaire and observation checklist before and after the intervention. Data collected were analyzed using Statistical  Package for Social Science (SPSS) version 22. Descriptive statistics of mean and standard deviation were presented on frequency/ percentage tables while inferential statistics was used in the form of chisquare and t-test to evaluate the effect and line charts for the  trends of the effect. At the pretest, no statistically significant difference in the pretest mean knowledge (p-value =0.837) scores of mothers  between the study and control groups. At post-tests, the mean knowledge and practice scores of mothers in the study group  improved significantly (P value < 0.05) at the first week, 6th week, 10th week, 14th week and 6th month postpartum. Mothers in the  intervention group were more satisfied with their role of exclusive breastfeeding than those in the control group (p-value <0.001). Hence,  the a need for continuous technical training and health education for adolescent mothers on exclusive breastfeeding.