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@article{207864,
        author = {Ms. Sweety Raju Kautikkar and Mr. Sandesh Sonawane},
        title = {Effect of Health Education on Prevention of Neonatal Illness Among Primipara Mothers Residing at Selected Urban Regions, Maharashtra State},
        journal = {International Journal of Innovative Research in Technology},
        year = {2026},
        volume = {13},
        number = {3},
        pages = {3096-3101},
        issn = {2349-6002},
        url = {https://ijirt.org/article?manuscript=207864},
        abstract = {Background: The neonatal period is a highly vulnerable stage of life, and primipara mothers may have limited experience in identifying and preventing common neonatal illnesses. Maternal health education can improve knowledge regarding newborn care and preventive measures. Objective : To assess the effect of health education on prevention of neonatal illness among primipara mothers. Methods: A quantitative approach with a true experimental randomized control group design was reported in the dissertation. A total of 100 primipara mothers were included, with 50 mothers in the experimental group and 50 in the control group. Knowledge was assessed using a 30-item Structured Interview Schedule (SIS). A pre-test was conducted in both groups. Health education on prevention of neonatal illness was administered to the experimental group, while the control group did not receive the intervention. A post-test was conducted after one week using the same SIS. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used for analysis. Results: The mean pre-test knowledge score was 7.90 ± 1.88 in the experimental group and 6.58 ± 1.40 in the control group. After the intervention, the mean post-test score increased to 24.88 ± 2.24 in the experimental group compared with 9.62 ± 2.33 in the control group. The mean knowledge gain was 16.98 ± 2.58 in the experimental group and 3.04 ± 2.54 in the control group. The difference between groups was highly significant (t = 27.17, p = 0.0001). Age and educational status were significantly associated with post-test knowledge, whereas occupation, per capita income and religion were not significantly associated. Conclusion: The findings demonstrate that structured health education was effective in improving knowledge regarding prevention of neonatal illness among primipara mothers. Incorporating planned maternal education into routine antenatal and postnatal services may strengthen maternal awareness and early recognition of neonatal health problems.},
        keywords = {Health education, neonatal illness, primipara mothers, maternal knowledge, newborn care, structured interview schedule},
        month = {August},
        }