Nurturing the Nurturers: How Knowledgeable are Primigravida about Self-Care Practices? A Cross-sectional Study from a Tertiary Care Hospital in Gujarat, India

Abstract

Study Background: Self-care during pregnancy is essential for maternal and fetal health. Primigravida women may have limited knowledge, affecting feto-maternal well-being. This study, part of the Problem Solving for Better Health initiative, assesses their awareness in a tertiary care setting. Objective: To evaluate the knowledge of self-care practices among primigravida women. Methodology: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 147 primigravida women visiting inpatient and outpatient obstetric facilities. A structured questionnaire assessed knowledge of preconception care, antenatal care, danger signs, self-regulations, nutrition, and postnatal care. Study Findings: The mean age was 24.93 years (SD = 4.071), with 63.9 percent from rural areas and 63.2 percent from joint families. Among participants, 15 (10.20%) had sufficient knowledge, 122(82.99%) had partial knowledge, and 10 (6.8%) had insufficient knowledge. While 61% knew about preconception planning and 72% about antenatal care, knowledge was lower for nutrition (47.75%), self-regulation (43.25%), danger signs (48.33%), and postnatal care (40.75%). Conclusions: Significant gaps exist in self-care knowledge among primigravida women, particularly in nutrition, self-regulation, assessment of danger signs and postnatal care. Targeted educational interventions are needed to improve awareness and maternal health outcomes. Future research should assess the effectiveness of such interventions.