Knowledge and Attitude of Nursing Personnel and Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs) Regarding Prevention of Female Foeticide in Faridabad, Haryana

The present study was aimed to assess the effectiveness of structured training program regarding prevention of female feticide on knowledge and attitude of nursing personnel and Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs). The conceptual framework of the study was based on Imogene M. King's theory of goal attainment (1981). The research approach included both quantitative and qualitative. One group pretest-posttest design was used to assess the effectiveness of training program and phenomenological approach is used to analyze the experience of nurses and ASHA workers regarding female foeticide. The sample consisted of 39 subjects in interventional group and 40 in control group. The instruments of data collection include a self developed self administered knowledge questionnaire to assess the knowledge regarding female foeticide, a 5 point likert scale to assess the attitude of sample towards female foeticide and a short film on prevention of female foeticide to sensitize the nurses and ASHA workers. An in-depth interview was used to assess the experience of nursing personnel and ASHA workers regarding female foeticide. After pretesting of knowledge and attitude of interventional and control group, training program was administered to the intervention group, which include teaching program regarding selected aspects of female foeticide and administration of short film- 'JEEVANNIDHI', which was prepared by the investigator. An in-depth interview was conducted for every 10th sample in the interventional and control group in order to analyze the experience of nursing personnel and ASHA workers regarding female foeticide. Post interventional assessment was done at one week and one month both in the interventional and control group. Among the total 79 sample, there were 56 ASHA workers, 20 ANMs and 3 LHVs. During the second post assessment, all the nurses and ASHA workers in the interventional group had excellent knowledge where as none of them had excellent knowledge in the control group. The mean post test attitude (156.65) of nurses and ASHA workers is higher than their mean pre test attitude (136.53). The results show significant difference in the knowledge and attitude score between the interventional and control group at 0.01 level of significance. The findings reveal that the training program is effective in sensitizing the nurses and ASHA workers regarding prevention of female foeticide. The findings of qualitative analysis reveal that the nurses and ASHA workers are sensitized about the issue and they want to take immediate steps to eliminate female foeticide from our country. The results substantiate that the nurses and ASHA workers can become channels in the prevention of female foeticide.