THE OUTCOMES OF A TEACHING PROGRAMME ON PHYSIOLOGIC BIRTH FOR MOTHERS IN PRIMARY HEALTH CARE CENTRES IN RIVERS STATE, NIGERIA

Okere, Chigozie Christiana

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ORCID ID: https://orcid.org/0009-0007-9879-0627

Department of Midwifery and Child Health Nursing, Africa Center for Excellence Public

Health and Toxicological Research,

University of Port Harcourt,

Rivers State, Nigeria.

Prof. Cosmos Enyindah

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Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Faculty of Clinical Sciences, College of Health Sciences, University of Port Harcourt, Nigeria.

Prof. Patricia Ukaigwe

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Department of Educational Management,

University of Port Harcourt, Nigeria.

Nwachikwu, Ijeoma

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Department of Midwifery and Child Health

Nursing, Africa Center for Excellence Public

Health and Toxicological Research,

University of Port Harcourt,

Rivers State, Nigeria.

Dr. Anele, Ezebunwo

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ORCID ID: https:/orcid.org/0009-0005-0416-3709

Department of Educational Psychology

University of Calabar

 Abstract

The study examined the outcomes of a teaching programme on physiologic birth for mothers in primary health care centres in Rivers State, Nigeria. Specifically, it determined the effect of the teaching programme on mothers’ knowledge of physiologic birth practices and examined its effect on mothers’ preference for physiologic birth practices during childbirth. The study adopted a quasi-experimental research design involving pre-test and post-test assessments. The population comprised 5,585 pregnant and postpartum women receiving maternal health services across 338 primary health care centres in Rivers State. A sample of 94 mothers was selected from 14 primary health care centres in six Local Government Areas using stratified random, simple random, proportionate and accidental sampling techniques. Data were collected using a researcher-developed questionnaire titled “Outcomes of Teaching Programme on Physiologic Birth for Mothers in Primary Health Care Centres Questionnaire (OTPPBMPHCQ).” The instrument was validated by experts in Measurement and Evaluation, Maternal and Nursing Science, and yielded an overall Cronbach Alpha reliability coefficient of .81. The teaching programme was delivered over two weeks, while data were analysed using Analysis of Covariance at the 0.05 level of significance. Findings revealed that the teaching programme had a significant effect on mothers’ knowledge of physiologic birth practices, F(4, 89) = 87.513, p < .05, and on their preference for physiologic birth practices, F(4, 89) = 112.902, p < .05. The study concluded that structured teaching significantly improves mothers’ knowledge and preference for physiologic birth practices. It recommended that nurses and midwives should integrate structured physiologic birth education into routine antenatal services in primary health care centres.

Keywords: Teaching Programme; Physiologic Birth; Maternal Knowledge; Birth Preference; Primary Health Care. DOWNLOAD PDF