Effectiveness of Awareness Programme on Importance of Iodine in Fetal Brain Development among Women in Selected Rural Area, Mangalore

Background: Conflict is a situation where the concerns of two people appear to be incompatible. Conflict Iodine deficiency disorders are the most common cause of preventable brain damage and mental retardation in the world. It was estimated that nearly 1.6 billion people in the world are at risk of iodine deficiency and 30 million suffer from lowered mental ability. Around 56 million, 10% of the world's population suffer from goiter and because of lack of iodine in mothers, over 120.000 babies are still born every year as cretins like mentally retarded, physically stunted, deaf mute, or paralysed. In view of these the knowledge of women were assessed as One group pre-test post-test pre experimental design with planned teaching programme on importance of iodine in fetal brain development at rural area of Mangalore. The researcher used non probability purposive sampling technique for selecting 50 number of women as sample and data obtained by using structured interview method. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyze the data. The findings of the study were, the mean percentage of the total knowledge scores of the pre test was 38.80% with mean±SD of 15.52±1.705 and the mean post test knowledge score was 72.90% with mean±SD of 29.16±1.765. Significance difference between pre test and post test knowledge score was statistically tested by using paired 't' test and it was found to be significant (t=47.460, p<0.05). The findings of the study revealed that there is significant increase in knowledge of women, after the planned teaching programme on importance of iodine in fetal brain development. Hence it is concluded that planned teaching programme is significant in improving the knowledge of women on importance of iodine in fetal brain development.