KNOWLEDGE, ATTITUDES AND PRACTICES OF WATER HYGIENE AMONG WOMEN ATTENDING ANTENATAL CARE IN BWARI AREA COUNCIL ABUJA

Abstract

This research investigated the Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices of Water Hygiene Among Women Attending Antenatal Care in Bwari Area Council of Abuja. The survey research design was adopted for the study. A population and well as simple size of two hundred and fifty pregnant women attending ante-natal care was used. To carry out the study, questionnaire forms were used in order to obtain relevant data from the pregnant women during antenatal care periods. The instrument was given to three experts in research, from the Department of Physical and Health Education who were not below the rank of senior lecturer. Their observations were used to correct the Questionnaire that later served as the instrument used for the study. This was pre-tested using 30 women attending ante-natal care who were not part of the main study. The split-half was used which yielded a co-efficient index of 0.78 that was considered high for the study. The data collected were analyzed using frequencies and percentages. The major findings were that; the respondents had knowledge that safe and ready water is important for public health 250(100%), improved water hygiene contributes to better standard of living 250(100%), water containers should be covered properly to avoid contamination 249(99.6%), access to safe water hygiene reduces morbidity and mortality from diarrhea 246(99.2%), and good water hygiene decreases negative health outcome at community level 246(98.4%). Others are lack of access to water in health care facilities compromises childbirth 244(97.6%), water should not be stored in a long period of time before use 235(94%), low amount of water will not clean the surrounding and body 233(93.2%), water source catchment should not be left unprotected and exposed 222(88.8%) and availability of water is necessary in primary health care 221(88.4%). Generally, the respondents had an average response of 95.9% which is an excellent level of knowledge of water hygiene, they had an average responses of 1.60 towards water hygiene which is positive attitude, they had good practices of water hygiene, their sources of water were wells and boreholes, they encountered no problems towards water hygiene. Based on this findings, it was recommended among others that antenatal mothers should be enlightened on the importance of using tap water to cook and clean and also drink bottle water or very clean water.