A STUDY TO ASSESS THE AWARENESS & UTILIZATION OF MATERNITY BENEFIT SCHEMES AMONG MOTHERS HAVING 0-5 YEARS AGED CHILDREN IN A SELECTED PRIMARY HEALTH CENTRE, BANGALORE

Background of the study: The Maternity Benefit Scheme is a social welfare program designed to support the health and well-being of expectant and new mothers. It aims to ensure that women can maintain their physical and mental health during pregnancy and the postpartum period while securing financial stability. Maternity well-being under this scheme is not limited to medical care but also includes nutritional support, rest, and protection from work-related stress or hazards. This holistic approach promotes healthier mothers, reduces maternal and infant morbidity, and contributes to the overall development of families. Method of the study: The research design of the present study was an overall plan for obtaining answer to the research questions or testing the research hypothesis. In the present study descriptive co-relational research design was adopted. The subjects selected for the study were mothers having children aged 0 to 5 years, who were residing at konanakunte PHC, Banglore. Sample of the study consisted of 60 mothers and were selected by convenient sampling method. The tool used for collection of data is a structured questionnaire. Result: There was a positive co-relation between level of awareness and level of utilization, therefore H1 hypothesis is accepted and also there was a significant association between level of awareness and a demographic variable, therefore H2 hypothesis is accepted. Interpretation: From the above findings the null hypothesis is rejected and research hypothesis is completely accepted with regards to selected background variables. Conclusion: Thus from the above study, the investigators has proved that there is a significant relationship between awareness and utilization, hence proving the H1 hypothesis along with show casting the association between level of awareness with the selected demographic data, therefore proving the H2 hypothesis.