Effectiveness of Theory of Planned Behavior-Based Educational Intervention on Newborn Care in Pregnant Mothers: A quasi-experimental study

Abstract

<jats:title>Abstract</jats:title> <jats:p><jats:bold>Background and Purpose:</jats:bold> The neonatal period is one of the most sensitive stages of life, requiring proper understanding and attentive care. Accordingly, this study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of theory of planned behavior-based educational intervention on newborn care in pregnant mothers. <jats:bold>Methodology:</jats:bold> This study was conducted as a quasi-experimental research on 100 pregnant mothers who were randomly assigned to two groups of intervention (N=50) and control (N=50). The data were collected using a theory of planned behavior-based questionnaire. Considering the effective constructs of this theory, the educational intervention was performed in the form of four 60-minute education sessions in one month in the intervention group. One month after delivery, the data were recollected from both groups and analyzed using statistical tests.<jats:bold>Findings:</jats:bold> The mean and standard deviation of the mothers’ age in both intervention and control groups were 26.14±4.7 and 26.10±5.19, respectively (p=0.48). Before the educational intervention, the behavioral intention of the intervention group was 3.33 (out of 5), which significantly increased to 4.54 after the educational intervention (p&lt;0.001). In addition, the performance of mothers regarding neonatal care was significantly enhanced from 2.86 to 4.64 one month after the delivery (p=0.001). <jats:bold>Conclusion:</jats:bold> The theory of planned behavior-based educational intervention, along with active follow-ups, led to better and more principled behavioral intention and care provided by pregnant mothers to their newborn infants. Therefore, providing theory of planned behavior-based education in other healthcare centers is recommended.</jats:p>