Knowledge and attitude of nursing students towards teenage pregnancy as a caregiver: A cross sectional study
Sumita Bhattacharya and Dr. Asha Sreenivasan
Background: Teenage pregnancy creates significant challenges, impacting both the mother and child. Adolescents, due to their physical and emotional immaturity, are at higher risk for several health and social problems. It is influenced by various factors, including individual, family, and community characteristics. Nursing students are on the pathway to becoming essential caregivers across a vast area of healthcare system. To understand the attitudes of healthcare providers, is crucial for student nurses because these attitudes significantly impact the quality of care provided to teenage mothers.
Purpose: This study aims to evaluate the knowledge and attitudes of nursing students towards teenage pregnancy and motherhood. In these perspectives, the study seeks to identify the potential biases and areas where educational interventions may need to foster supportive and empathetic attitudes and ultimately can enhance the quality of maternal healthcare for teenage mothers.
Methodology: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 83 final-year nursing students from selected nursing schools in West Bengal. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire to assess knowledge and a 5-point Likert scale to evaluate attitudes towards teenage pregnancy. Both descriptive and inferential statistics were used for data analysis.
Results: The study found that nursing students generally possess an adequate level of knowledge about teenage pregnancy, with significant variations based on demographic factors. Attitudes towards teenage pregnancy were predominantly positive, highlighting the importance of non-judgmental care and the need for specialized support for teenage mothers. However, mixed responses were observed regarding the expression of personal opinions and the emotional well-being of teenage mothers, and indicate the areas for potential improvement in training.
Conclusion: The findings suggest that while nursing students demonstrate a positive attitude towards caring for teenage mothers, there are specific areas where additional training and education are needed. Through an integrating comprehensive reproductive health education program and sensitivity training into nursing programs can provide a better support to future healthcare providers and to the health and well-being of teenage mothers and their children.
Sumita Bhattacharya, Dr. Asha Sreenivasan. Knowledge and attitude of nursing students towards teenage pregnancy as a caregiver: A cross sectional study. Int J Adv Res Community Health Nurs 2024;6(2):100-104. DOI: 10.33545/26641658.2024.v6.i2b.197