A Study to Assess the Effectiveness of Structured Teaching Programme on Knowledge regarding Child Abuse among mothers of Under-Five Children at Selected Rural Area of Banaskantha, Gujarat

Background: Child abuse is child maltreatment as any act or series of acts of commission or omission by a parent or other caregiver that results in harm, potential for harm, or threat of harm to a child. The first documented case of child abuse occurred in New York in 1874. The different types of child abuse are: physical abuse, neglect, sexual abuse, emotional abuse, parental substance abuse and abandonment. Methods: this study included the Quantitative research approach, pre-experimental one group pre–test post-test research design. 80 Mothers of under-five children were selected by using Non-probability Convenient Sampling technique. On first day pre- test was done by using the Self-administered questionnaire, Explain about Child abuse. On 7th day post-test was done by using Self-administered questionnaire, to check the effect of planned teaching program on knowledge regarding Child abuse among the mothers of under-five children. The data obtained were analyzed and interpreted by using both descriptive and inferential statistical in terms of frequency, percentage, and chi-square. Results: The knowledge regarding Child abuse among Mothers of under-five children was assessed. the ‘z’ value 15.62 is significantly higher than the table value 1.96 at 0.05 level significance. This indicates that there was a difference in the pre-test and post-test knowledge score of respondents and the Structured teaching programme is effective in improving the knowledge score of mothers of under five children, hence the H1 hypothesis was proved and accepted. There is an association between pre- test knowledge score with selected Socio- demographic variables; hence the research hypothesis (H2) is accepted. Conclusion: This study concludes that there is improvement in the level of knowledge of mothers of under five children which indicate that the Structured teaching programme is effective. The demographic variables of mothers of under five children significantly associated with the pre- test knowledge score. The development of Structured teaching programme will help the mothers of under five children to enhance their knowledge.