Educating Antenatal Mothers on TORCH Infections
Uploaded by
IJAR JOURNALEducating Antenatal Mothers on TORCH Infections
Uploaded by
IJAR JOURNALISSN: 2320-5407 Int. J. Adv. Res.
9(07), 401-407
journal Homepage: - [Link]
Article DOI: 10.21474/IJAR01/13139
DOI URL: [Link]
RESEARCH ARTICLE
TO ASSESS THE EFFECTIVENESS OF STRUCTURED TEACHING PROGRAMME ON KNOWLEDGE
REGARDING PREVENTION OF TORCH INFECTIONS DURING PREGNANCY AMONG
ANTENATAL MOTHERS ATTENDING ANTENATAL OPDS OF SELECTED HOSPITALS
Mrs. Vina Anand Soundade
……………………………………………………………………………………………………....
Manuscript Info Abstract
……………………. ………………………………………………………………
Manuscript History Aim:To assess the effectiveness of structured teaching programme on
Received: 10 May 2021 knowledge regarding prevention of TORCH infections during
Final Accepted: 14 June 2021 pregnancy
Published: July 2021 among antenatal mothers attending antenatal OPDS of selected
hospitals”.
Participants and setting: The research design used in this study was one
group pre test and post test, no control group. The study was conducted
in Miraj city, [Link] investigator selected 100antenatal mothers who
fulfilled the inclusion criteria were selected by using non probability
convenience sampling technique.
Intervention: The investigator assessed the knowledge on TORCH
infection using the structured interview schedule. It took about 10 – 15
minutes for each individual. Soon after the pretest educational package
was given through health talk, A.V. aids . The post test was conducted
after 7 days and scoring was analyzed. Measurement and findings: To
assess the effectiveness of education programme which was done by
calculating the „t‟ value (0.527) which is confirmed that there was
statistically significant difference between pre and post test knowledge
at p<0.05 level.
Conclusion:There was association between the pre-test knowledge
scores with selected demographical variables. Thus the null hypothesis
was rejected and H1 hypothesis and H2 hypothesis was accepted.
Copy Right, IJAR, 2021,. All rights reserved.
……………………………………………………………………………………………………....
Introduction:-
" Pregnancy is special , let make it as safe ".
-WHO theme-1998.
Pregnancy is the most fascinating and delicate experience for a women. Not only the health of the baby in the womb
but also the woman's health is of equal importance to all her friends, well wishers and family members. Every
pregnancy is an unique experience for the women, experiences will be new and uniquely different .
As everyone waits with bated breath for the new arrival, any signs of illness in the mother can throw a spanner in the
celebrations. So it is imperative that all care is taken to avoid anything untoward from happening and the prime
concern is to avoid infection at any cost. However much may a born them, we cannot deny that infections have
become part of our normal life. But pregnancy and infections are not a great combination by any standards
Corresponding Author:- Mrs. Vina Anand Soundade 401
ISSN: 2320-5407 Int. J. Adv. Res. 9(07), 401-407
All of the TORCH infections can affect people of any age or sex. However, the term TORCH is only used when it
applies to pregnant women and their unborn newborn children. As a group, TORCH infections represent a common
cause of birth defects. They can cause still births, the delivery of a dead baby.
Need For The Study
Mother and children not only constitute a large group, but they are also “vulnerable” or special risk group, the risk
is connected with childbearing in the case of women.
Certain infections collectively called TORCH infections can produce stillbirths, congenital anomalies, abortions,
blindness, severe deafness and mental retardation in the offspring‟s. That may be acquired in utero or during the
birth process causing heavy morbidity to both mother and child. TORCH can cause serious, permanent birth defects.
They can leave a child with severe communication, behavioural, or learning disorders. Some children appear normal
at birth, only to have behavioural, emotional, or learning problems arise later in life
A study was conducted on primary torch infections in the mother that can lead to severe fatal anomalies or even
fetal loss. A prospective study was designed to detect the seroprevalence of IgM antibodies to Toxoplasma Gondii,
Rubella virus and Cytomegalovirus and IgG antibodies to Herpes Simplex Virus type 1 and 2. 120 pregnant woman
presenting to the antenatal clinic of a tertiary health centre were included in this study. Out of these 120 women, 112
(93.4%) had evidence of one or more infections. Prevalence IgG antibodies to
HSV was 70% seroposivities for Toxoplasmosis, Rubella and CMV respectively were 11.6, 8.3 and 20.8%. Our data
demonstrating high frequency of primary infections during pregnancy support the conclusion that routine prenatal
TORCH screening is justified.
TORCH infections can be screened and prevented during pregnancy. Evennon –pregnant women‟s adolescent girls
can get TORCH Tests done so they can bewell treated in advance and which motivated the investigator to u ndertake
astudy to assess the effectiveness of
Problem Statement
“ A pre-experimental study to assess the effectiveness of structured teaching programme on knowledge regarding
prevention of TORCH infections during pregnancy
among antenatal mothers attending antenatal OPDS of selected hospitals”.
Objectives:-
1. To assess the existing knowledge regarding prevention of torch infections during pregnancy among antenatal
mothers.
2. To evaluate the effectiveness of structured teaching programme regarding prevention of TORCH infections
during pregnancy among antenatal mothers.
3. To find association between pre-test knowledge scores with Selected demographic variables.
Hypothesis
Ho - There will be no significant difference between pre-test knowledge scores and post – test knowledge
scores regarding prevention of torch infections during pregnancy among antenatal mothers.
H1- There will be significant difference between pre-test knowledge scores and post –test knowledge scores
regarding prevention of torch infections
during pregnancy among antenatal mothers.
H2 – There will be significant association between pre-test knowledge scores with selected demographic variables
among antenatal mothers.
Scope Of The Study
The present study on antenatal mothers to provide knowledge and create awareness regarding prevention of
TORCH infections during pregnancy.
The outcome may be either significant or insignificant gain in knowledge regarding prevention of TORCH
infections during pregnancy among antenatal mothers.
402
ISSN: 2320-5407 Int. J. Adv. Res. 9(07), 401-407
Materials And Methods:-
In view of the nature of the problem selected for study, quantitative evaluative approach was found appropriate. In
the study quasi-experimental One group pre-test post-test design was used to assess effectiveness of structured
teaching programme on knowledge regarding prevention of TORCH infections during pregnancy among antenatal
mothers attending antenatal OPDS. The setting for the present study was antenatal OPDS of selected hospitals. In
the present study, the population comprises of antenatal mothers attending antenatal OPDS of selected hospitals.
The target population was antenatal mothers who are attending antenatal OPDS.
The accessible population for this study was antenatal mothers attending antenatal OPDS of selected hospitals.
The samples for the present study were antenatal mothers.
The sample size of the present study was 100 antenatal mothers attending antenatal OPDS of selected hospitals.
knowledge regarding prevention of TORCH infections was a dependent variable. , independent variable was
structured teaching programme on prevention of TORCH infections during pregnancy among antenatal mothers.
Atrributed variables for this study were age, education, religion, gravid.
extraneous variables were antenatal OPDS.
The pilot study was conducted in different setting from 18 Oct. 2019 to 24 Oct. 2019 on 10 Antenatal mothers to
assess the feasibility of the study and to decide the plan for data analysis. Firstly the researcher approached to the
subjects, informed them regarding the objectives of the study and obtained the consent after assuring the subjects
about the confidentiality of the data
Pre-test was conducted by the investigator using structured knowledge
questionnaires on same day planned teaching programme was administered.
Post-test was taken after 7 days by using same questionnaires. The data was
analyzed by using statistical tests. Pilot study result indicated that the tool is was feasible.
Data collection tool are the procedures ore instruments used by the investigator to observe or measure the key
variables in the research problem. Data was collected by the investigator herself. The main body study was
conducted in selected hospitals from 13nov. to 13 dec. 2019. The subjects were selected by simple random
sampling technique. After taking consent each of the subjects were given instructions regarding the purpose of the
study. the study was conducted on 100 antenatal mothers attending antenatal OPDS of selected hospitals to assess
the effectiveness of structured teaching programme regarding prevention of TORCH infections during pregnancy.
Study Findings Showing Distribution Of Subjects Based On Demographic Variables.
Table I:- Distribution of subjects based on their demographic variables in terms of Frequency and percentages.
n = 100
Demographic variables Frequency percentages
%
Age (In years)
19 - 23 42 42
24 – 28 47 47
29 - 33 10 10
34 - 38 1 1
403
ISSN: 2320-5407 Int. J. Adv. Res. 9(07), 401-407
Education
Primary 30 30
Secondary 70 70
Religion
Hindu 69 69
Christian 9 9
Muslim 14 14
Gravida
First 51 51
Second 40 40
Third 6 6
Fourth and above 3 3
Graph no. 1:- Cylindrical bar graph shows percentage wise distribution of samples based on their age.
Age In Year
50% 47%
45% 42%
40%
35%
30% 19 -23
25% 24 -28
29 -33
20%
10% 34 -38
15%
10%
5% 1%
0%
19 -23 y 24 -28 y 29 -33 y 34 -38 y
404
ISSN: 2320-5407 Int. J. Adv. Res. 9(07), 401-407
Graph no. 2:- Pyramid graph shows percentage wise distribution of samples based on education.
EDUCATION
80%
70%
70%
60%
50%
40% primary
30% secondary
30%
20%
10%
0%
primary secondary
Graph no. 3:- Bar graph shows percentage wise distribution of sample based on Religion.
RELIGION
0.8
69%
0.7
0.6
0.5
Muslim
0.4
Hindu
0.3
Christian
0.2 14%
9% 8%
0.1
0
Hindu Christian Muslim Other
405
ISSN: 2320-5407 Int. J. Adv. Res. 9(07), 401-407
Graph no. 4:- Line graph shows percentage wise distribution of sample based on gravida.
Gravida
Primigravida Second gravida Third gravida Four and above
3%
6%
51%
40%
Table no. 2:- Pretest knowledge scores regarding prevention of TORCH infection during pregnancy among
antenatal mothers. n = 100
Knowledge Pre-test
Frequency %
Good score( 16 – 29 ) 11 11
Average score(9 - 15) 31 31
Poor score (0 -8) 58 58
Table no. 3:- Mean and standard deviation of knowledge scores regarding prevention of „TORCH‟ infection during
pregnancy among antenatal mothers attending antenatal OPDS of selected Hospitals. n= 100
Areas of analysis Mean Median Standard deviation
Pre – test ( x ) 12.3 12 0.43
Post – test ( y ) 21.14 21 0.33
Difference 9.11 9 0.07
Table no. 4:- Frequency and percentage distribution of pre-test and post knowledge Scores of knowledge
regarding prevention of TORCH infection during pregnancy among antenatal mothers. n=100.
Knowledge score pre- test post- test
Frequency % Frequency %
Good knowledge 11 11 20 20
406
ISSN: 2320-5407 Int. J. Adv. Res. 9(07), 401-407
Average knowledge 31 31 75 75
Poor knowledge 58 58 5 5
Conclusion:-
There was association between the pre-test knowledge scores with selected demographical variables. Thus the null
hypothesis was rejected and H1 hypothesis and H2 hypothesis was accepted.
Bibliography:-
1. Parks t, “text book of preventive and social medicine” 17th edition, 2005 by
m/s banaridas bhanot [Link], page no 359-364.
2. Infection during pregnancy. Health screen. A magazine for pre-patient care.
2007 October. 3 (33) ; 11-18.
3. [Link] .[Link] [Link]/ topic/t/2/torch- [Link].
4. International Journal of Advanced Recearch (2015),Volume 3,Issue 5,234-41.
5. The nursing journal of india volume. Lxxxx1.(3). March 2000. Who; 50-59.
6. Kaur.r, et al. South east [Link] med public health.1999 jun. 30 ( 2); 284-6.
7. Nirmala r. Et al., (2007): health screen. Infections during [Link]
[Link].11 – 18.
8. Basavanthappa B.T., (2003). “Medical Surgical nursing”, (1 st ed.), New Delhi;
Jaypee brothers medical Publishers (P) Ltd , 236-237.
9. International journal of current microbiology and applied sciences
Issn: 2319-7706 volume 7 number 04 (2018).
10. A cross-sectional study on the prevalence of torch infections among
pregnant women insalem district, tamil nadu. Page 36.
407
Common questions
Powered by AITORCH infections are significant in pregnant women because they represent a common cause of birth defects and can lead to serious consequences such as stillbirths, congenital anomalies, and severe permanent birth defects in the offspring. These infections may result in conditions like blindness, deafness, and mental retardation, or cause severe communication, behavioral, or learning disorders in children. Some children might even appear normal at birth but develop issues later in life .
The structured teaching program was effective in improving the knowledge of antenatal mothers regarding the prevention of TORCH infections, as indicated by the statistically significant difference between pre-test and post-test knowledge scores at a p<0.05 level. Specifically, the t-value was 0.527, and there was a substantial increase in the number of mothers with good knowledge from 11% in the pre-test to 75% in the post-test .
TORCH infections are critically significant in prenatal care due to their potential to cause major birth defects and developmental problems in children. The prenatal exposure can lead to stillbirths, significant congenital anomalies, and postnatal developmental disorders, making prevention during pregnancy a healthcare priority. For healthcare providers, this underscores the necessity of regular screenings, patient education, and early intervention strategies to reduce these risks and ensure healthier pregnancy outcomes .
In the study, data collection was primarily conducted through structured knowledge questionnaires administered by the investigator. The implementation began with a pre-test on the same day that the planned teaching program was delivered. A post-test followed seven days later using the same questionnaires, allowing for direct comparison of knowledge levels before and after the educational intervention .
Routine prenatal TORCH screening is supported by the high frequency of primary infections during pregnancy that can lead to severe fetal anomalies or even fetal loss. A study demonstrated a significant seroprevalence of infections among pregnant women, justifying the importance of screening to prevent serious outcomes for both mother and child. Infections like toxoplasmosis, rubella, and cytomegalovirus have substantial seropositivity rates, making preventative screening an essential part of prenatal care .
The educational intervention led to a notable improvement in knowledge across all levels. Post-intervention, the percentage of mothers with good knowledge increased from 11% to 20%, while those with average knowledge rose from 31% to 75%. Furthermore, the proportion with poor knowledge decreased significantly from 58% to just 5%, highlighting the effectiveness of the structured teaching program in enhancing understanding of TORCH infection prevention .
The pilot study conducted involved 10 antenatal mothers and demonstrated the feasibility of the method and the data collection tool. The results indicated that the materials and procedures were appropriate and effective, thus justifying their use in the main study. The pilot study helped to refine the study design and ensured that the research method would be effective in collecting relevant data for assessing the knowledge impact of the teaching program .
The study suggests that structured educational programs significantly enhance knowledge among antenatal mothers, thus mitigating the risks associated with TORCH infections during pregnancy. This improvement indicates that integrating similar educational strategies into public health initiatives for pregnant women could lead to better prevention of infections and adverse outcomes. By validating the effectiveness of such programs, it supports their adoption in broader healthcare policies to improve maternal and child health outcomes .
There was an association between pre-test knowledge scores regarding the prevention of TORCH infections and selected demographic variables. Although the specific demographics were not detailed in the summary, the study concluded that variables such as age, education, religion, and gravida status could influence knowledge levels, thereby leading to the acceptance of the H2 hypothesis that there is a significant association between pre-test knowledge scores and selected demographic variables .
The study used a quasi-experimental one-group pre-test post-test design to assess the effectiveness of a structured teaching program on knowledge regarding TORCH infections. The research involved a pre-test followed by an educational intervention, with a post-test occurring after 7 days. One limitation of this study is the absence of a control group, which makes it difficult to firmly attribute knowledge gains to the intervention itself rather than other external factors .
