KNOWLEDGE, ATTITUDE AND PRACTICES OF NURSING MOTHERS TOWARDS HEPATITIS B AS A CHILDHOOD KILLER DISEASE: A SURVEY OF NURSING MOTHERS IN HO, GHANA

ABSTRACT

This study assessed the knowledge, attitude and practices of nursing mothers using two postnatal clinics in Ho, in the Volta region of Ghana. The study also looked at their sources of information on health issues. These two postnatal clinics were chosen because they were the most patronised postnatal care centres in the Ho municipality and therefore, allowed for the inclusion of respondents from a broad range of communities and a representative cross-section of demographic backgrounds.

The study employed the survey design by which a questionnaire was administered to 200 respondents to find out if the nursing mothers knew about the causes, modes of transmission, symptoms, effects and prevention of Hepatitis B. It also sought to find out if their knowledge of the disease had a direct impact on how they perceived the disease and subsequently, their practices towards the prevention of this disease in their children. The sources of information of these nursing mothers were also looked at in order to determine what their usual and preferred sources of information on the health of their children were. Data was collected using a questionnaire. The study, therefore, used the Health Belief Model.

The findings showed that the knowledge level of nursing mothers in the Ho municipality was low. Although most of them knew infection with Hepatitis B could cause death and that there was vaccination against it, their knowledge of the causes, modes of transmission and symptoms was low. Attitudes and practices of nursing mothers were also found to be poor, thus they did not make conscious efforts to prevent Hepatitis B infection of their children. The study also revealed that the usual and most preferred source of information on child

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health for the majority of them was health workers.

Nursing mothers had a low perception of the severity of Hepatitis B and their children’s susceptibility to it. Although most of them knew that vaccination was required to prevent infection, they did not think it was very important.

More attention should be given to educating nursing mothers on the dangers and prevention of Hepatitis B as a childhood killer disease. Health workers should also be trained to give more adequate information on Hepatitis B as a childhood killer disease in order to encourage a more proactive attitude towards the disease among nursing mothers.