Knowledge, Attitude, Practice Study of Congenital Anomalies After Ultrasound Scanning Among Expecting Women in Tertiary Care Hospitals in Islamabad

Saba Gulrukh; Naushaba Malik; Taqdees Iftikhar; Shah Bakht Aftab; Naushin Farooq; Minaal Ahmed Malik

Saba Gulrukh
Naushaba Malik Head of Radiology, PESSI Hospital, Islamabad
Taqdees Iftikhar Associate Professor, Dept of Obs & Gynae, Akhtar Saeed Medical college, Rawalpindi
Shah Bakht Aftab Post Graduate Trainee, PIMS, Islamabad.
Naushin Farooq Surgeon Gynae, Dept of Obs and Gynae, Federal Govt. Polyclinic (PGMI) Islamabad
Minaal Ahmed Malik House officer, PIMS

Abstract

Objective: To determine the knowledge, attitude, Practice regarding congenital anomalies after ultrasound scanning among expecting women in tertiary care hospitals in Islamabad.

Methodology: This cross-sectional study was done at three tertiary hospitals of Islamabad. The duration of the study was six months, from January 2021 to June 2021 All the women who had undergone prenatal ultrasound scanning for fetal wellbeing suspected for congenital anomalies, aged 18 to 45 years, both primary and multiparous women were included. All the study subjects were interviewed for their knowledge, attitude and practice regarding congenital anomalies. An interview-administered questionnaire was designed to gather socio-demographic variables and health status data, with the KAP. Further to pilot testing on 30 participants, reliability was established, new options were added to performa questions, and some more questions were introduced. The questionnaire was administered in person by trained researchers or self-administered by participants. All the information was collected via questioner-based study proforma and the analysis of the data was done by using SPSS version 26.

Results: Out of the total of 126 participants, only 46% had good knowledge, while 54% had an estimated poor knowledge level about congenital anomalies. 64.3%, had a poor attitude towards congenital disabilities and 35.7% had a good attitude towards congenital disabilities. Poor self-efficacy, contains respondents with no or one answer 44.6.%, fair segment, 49.6.% contained those respondents who were given at least two to seven answers, while the good segment, 5.8%, contained those respondents who were given at least eight to nine answer. Socio-demographic variables like family income, age, and residence were not significantly related to knowledge (p= >0.05). The educational level of participants was statistically significant with knowledge (p= <0.05).

Conclusion: There was no significant knowledge and attitude towards the congenital anomalies after ultrasound scanning. Only 46% of the participants had good knowledge and 35.7% had a good attitude towards congenital disabilities. Through education and awareness-raising initiatives, efforts are needed to improve maternal knowledge and attitudes.