Abstract
BackgroundCounseling has a significant role in improving knowledge, attitude and practice outcomes of pregnant women towards medication use. Proper counseling thus could be beneficial to prevent any medication related misadventure during pregnancy. The present study was aimed to assess the knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) of pregnant women towards their medications, to provide counseling regarding their understanding of medication use during pregnancy and evaluate the impacts of such counseling.MethodsPre- post interventional (counseling) study was conducted at Manipal Teaching Hospital, Nepal among pregnant women who presented with complication and were prescribed at least one medication. A total of 275 pregnant women were included in the study. A structured questionnaire was used to assess the knowledge, attitude and practice of pregnant women before and after counseling. The impacts of counseling were then evaluated using suitable statistical methods.ResultsOf the total participants 229 completed the post counseling survey. Majority of the participants were in the age group 20-24 (43.2%), primigravida (59.4%) and in third trimester (58.6%). Housewives comprised 61.1% of participants and majority had received a University degree (33.2%).The mean and median scores assessed before counseling showed that there was no significant difference in the KAP scores with respect to age, trimester and gravidity whereas KAP scores with respect to occupation and level of education were statistically significant. There was an increase in mean and median KAP scores after counseling and the impacts of counseling was found to be statistically significant (p = <0.001).ConclusionCounseling had a positive impact on knowledge, attitude and practice of pregnant women towards medication and thus it could be considered a suitable method to encourage safe medication during pregnancy.
Highlights
Counseling has a significant role in improving knowledge, attitude and practice outcomes of pregnant women towards medication use
Interestingly it was seen that 71.6% of the participants knew that unnecessary drug use during pregnancy can harm the health of mother and fetus but they did not significantly know about the nature of harm as only 30.6% knew that drugs could harm fetal organogenesis and development
A study in Ethiopia shows that knowledge of pregnant women on Non-steroidal anti-inflamatory drugs (NSAIDs) (Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflamatory Drugs) was poor [5] and another study in India shows that only 33.33% of the pregnant women had knowledge that drug use during pregnancy might impact the health of mother and child [20]
Summary
Counseling has a significant role in improving knowledge, attitude and practice outcomes of pregnant women towards medication use. The present study was aimed to assess the knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) of pregnant women towards their medications, to provide counseling regarding their understanding of medication use during pregnancy and evaluate the impacts of such counseling. Both the physicians and pharmacists have an important role in making the pregnant women know about their conditions, any complications they have during pregnancy and the medications they are taking. Lack of proper medication knowledge and practice among pregnant women might eventually have serious impacts on health of both the mother and child. Effective interventions are required to enhance knowledge, attitude and practice of pregnant women regarding safe medication during pregnancy
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