Abstract

Background: Adolescents of tribal areas possess hardly any knowledge about the health care of pregnant women, and they would be future husbands and decision makers of the family. This study was undertaken to study the attitudinal change among the tribal adolescents with respect to health care of women during pregnancy by using four-pronged approach.

Objective: To study the knowledge and attitude of adolescent school children about health care of women during pregnancy and the change following specific interventions and to identify the areas of maternal health care that revealed a good retention among study subjects for 1 calendar year in developing a model among adolescent boys and girls.

Materials and Methods: Baseline information about health care of pregnant women was collected using a structured questionnaire. Health education sessions comprising of chalk-and-talk method of 2 h each were conducted over a period of 2 weeks. Again, questionnaires were given at 1, 6, and 12 months after the session to determine the retention of knowledge among the students.

Result: About 57.14% students chose ANC registration within first 3 months of pregnancy, and about 69.84% said that three ANC visits are necessary before health education. Knowledge regarding importance of spacing between two pregnancies, change in diet, IFA tablets, and TT injections in pregnancy was substantial.

Conclusion: Four-pronged method is useful in sustaining the change of knowledge and attitude regarding maternal health care in adolescents.

Key words: Adolescent, maternal health, ashram shala, model, four-pronged approach