A Quasi-Experimental Study to Assess the Effectiveness of Awareness Program on Knowledge and Practice Regarding MAA (Mother’s Absolute Affection) Programme Among Postnatal Mothers in Selected Hospitals

A Quasi-Experimental Study to Assess the Effectiveness of Awareness Program on Knowledge and Practice Regarding MAA (Mother’s Absolute Affection) Programme Among Postnatal Mothers in Selected Hospitals | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article A Quasi-Experimental Study to Assess the Effectiveness of Awareness Program on Knowledge and Practice Regarding MAA (Mother’s Absolute Affection) Programme Among Postnatal Mothers in Selected Hospitals Vaishnavi Dongare, Shalini Moon, Manjusha Mahakalkar This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-7608640/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Under Review Version 1 posted 7 You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Introduction: The "Mothers' Absolute Affection" (MAA) program was launched by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on August 5, 2016, to promote breastfeeding and provide counseling services. The initiative aims to strengthen breastfeeding support through health systems nationwide. Aims: This study aimed to assess postnatal mothers' knowledge and practice levels regarding the MAA program and to determine the correlation between knowledge and practice scores regarding the MAA program. Materials and methods: A quasi-experimental pre-test and post-test study was conducted at Acharya Vinobha Bhave Rural Hospital, Sawangi, Meghe, Wardha district. A total of 80 postnatal mothers participated in the study. A structured questionnaire was used to assess knowledge and practice levels before and after the awareness session. The session, conducted by a trained nursing educator, lasted one hour and covered key aspects of breastfeeding, the benefits of the MAA program, and practical breastfeeding techniques. The pre-test was administered before the session, and the post-test was conducted seven days later to measure knowledge retention and behavioral change. A paired t-test was applied to compare pre-test and post-test knowledge and practice scores. Chi-square tests were used to assess associations between knowledge scores and demographic factors. Pearson’s correlation coefficient was applied to examine the relationship between knowledge and practice scores. A p-value of <0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: The majority of participants showed significant improvement in knowledge and practice after the intervention. The mean knowledge score increased from 5.825 (±2.27) to 8.55 (±1.61), with 49 (61.20%) achieving a fair level and 21 (26.20%) reaching a good level. The mean practice score improved from 1.67 (±1.17) to 3.71 (±1.04), with 67 (83.75%) attaining a good practice level. A moderate positive correlation was found between knowledge and practice scores (r = 0.286, p = 0.010). Significant associations were observed between knowledge scores and demographic factors such as age (p = 0.0001) and education level (p = 0.0001). Conclusion: The study highlights the effectiveness of the awareness program in enhancing knowledge and practice among postnatal mothers. Targeted educational interventions are essential for improving maternal and child health outcomes. Counseling Breastfeeding Health Newborn Full Text Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. Cite Share Download PDF Status: Under Review Version 1 posted Reviews received at journal 31 Jan, 2026 Reviewers agreed at journal 21 Jan, 2026 Reviewers invited by journal 21 Oct, 2025 Editor invited by journal 23 Sep, 2025 Editor assigned by journal 20 Sep, 2025 Submission checks completed at journal 20 Sep, 2025 First submitted to journal 13 Sep, 2025 You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. Our growing team is made up of researchers and industry professionals working together to solve the most critical problems facing scientific publishing. Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-7608640","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":535279507,"identity":"ba944ce1-eb94-4570-9f4d-0d808927adff","order_by":0,"name":"Vaishnavi Dongare","email":"data:image/png;base64,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","orcid":"","institution":"Datta Meghe Institute of Medical Sciences","correspondingAuthor":true,"prefix":"","firstName":"Vaishnavi","middleName":"","lastName":"Dongare","suffix":""},{"id":535279508,"identity":"fd383fb3-a501-4766-87bd-785182df91be","order_by":1,"name":"Shalini Moon","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Datta Meghe Institute of Medical Sciences","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Shalini","middleName":"","lastName":"Moon","suffix":""},{"id":535279512,"identity":"10af4e66-0343-4849-ac9e-63f6b27e4ef3","order_by":2,"name":"Manjusha Mahakalkar","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Datta Meghe Institute of Medical Sciences (Deemed to be University, Radhikabai Meghe Memorial College of Nursing, Sawangi (Meghe)","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Manjusha","middleName":"","lastName":"Mahakalkar","suffix":""}],"badges":[],"createdAt":"2025-09-13 16:53:10","currentVersionCode":1,"declarations":"","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-7608640/v1","doiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-7608640/v1","draftVersion":[],"editorialEvents":[],"editorialNote":"","failedWorkflow":false,"files":[{"id":94988444,"identity":"9094f856-0ab5-4297-9e5b-45bc21439490","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-11-03 07:09:06","extension":"docx","order_by":0,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":83666,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"OriginalArticle.docx","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7608640/v1/7427c718ead0514c38c0ccc5.docx"},{"id":94961665,"identity":"fbd86a37-b4d6-4918-a1d8-622739dbc6f7","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-11-02 17:23:09","extension":"json","order_by":1,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":7448,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"c7840ef9787d478189c5cd6761102b1b.json","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7608640/v1/db14fcf5de1501094d020678.json"},{"id":94961666,"identity":"a49e8619-a037-4a5a-9c70-6cb32f20677e","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-11-02 17:23:09","extension":"docx","order_by":2,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":12034,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"AUTHORINFORMATION.docx","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7608640/v1/803ed82d7ae5788da58e6770.docx"},{"id":94988247,"identity":"9176d966-95d8-4a1a-ae3a-8845c7c33a8f","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-11-03 07:08:06","extension":"docx","order_by":3,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":11304,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"CONSENTFROMPARTICIPANT.docx","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7608640/v1/33e64ee5cca720cfe8d58201.docx"},{"id":94961668,"identity":"0c45b262-8a70-48da-a1db-0d3d70b9bf3b","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-11-02 17:23:09","extension":"docx","order_by":4,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":13122,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"CoveringLettearticled1.docx","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7608640/v1/70825828254505c8e4cc6fb1.docx"},{"id":94961670,"identity":"763136e1-881f-4c60-969d-acb8efc9fccf","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-11-02 17:23:09","extension":"docx","order_by":5,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":14918,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"Titlepage.docx","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7608640/v1/db07fe851428fc136ed1fd77.docx"},{"id":94961671,"identity":"06e9ee68-7a1e-46d0-84ea-ccd6a46bcb92","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-11-02 17:23:09","extension":"xml","order_by":6,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":97185,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"c7840ef9787d478189c5cd6761102b1b1enriched.xml","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7608640/v1/3fad2a2398531d80bfe22155.xml"},{"id":94961675,"identity":"98c2efa6-ab3c-4553-957a-425f4c4209b1","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-11-02 17:23:09","extension":"jpeg","order_by":7,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":72059,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"floatimage1.jpeg","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7608640/v1/263307211a616b8ca5076425.jpeg"},{"id":94961672,"identity":"861cf5bd-ef65-401c-aef8-3458de7a3800","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-11-02 17:23:09","extension":"wmf","order_by":8,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":4478,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"image1.wmf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7608640/v1/6cb81827e3d1d81d3431f0a2.wmf"},{"id":94961678,"identity":"6ab448f4-e939-407b-bf59-be81a2ef4bb7","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-11-02 17:23:09","extension":"wmf","order_by":9,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":716,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"image2.wmf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7608640/v1/ef2cbf1c3dd864bedb2b57f5.wmf"},{"id":94961673,"identity":"95321f2e-17b1-4c61-b144-e24e32f7c32d","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-11-02 17:23:09","extension":"wmf","order_by":10,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":716,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"image3.wmf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7608640/v1/e0bd54607fbd571f9e524dd8.wmf"},{"id":94961680,"identity":"7beca468-0b64-4dda-8477-32e4c189a483","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-11-02 17:23:09","extension":"png","order_by":11,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":14763,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"Onlinefloatimage1.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7608640/v1/e2758e6003dd31afeb96fba0.png"},{"id":94988577,"identity":"cd6eb28f-2651-4c47-942d-c1595bde40f6","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-11-03 07:09:58","extension":"png","order_by":12,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":5372,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"Onlineimage1.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7608640/v1/70ce13453a4044edc5299218.png"},{"id":94961676,"identity":"ba3c3f46-4a05-474d-9b1f-2f23d5aa8430","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-11-02 17:23:09","extension":"png","order_by":13,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":319,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"Onlineimage2.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7608640/v1/376f551e6902c3408bb79108.png"},{"id":94961679,"identity":"93e66fc3-ab99-4f15-916f-52be3528dc3c","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-11-02 17:23:09","extension":"png","order_by":14,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":324,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"Onlineimage3.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7608640/v1/dc8afe23d7a8a41c554c6bf3.png"},{"id":94988857,"identity":"4b543169-427b-4ea2-8a6c-63772a33f28a","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-11-03 07:11:10","extension":"xml","order_by":15,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":91902,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"c7840ef9787d478189c5cd6761102b1b1structuring.xml","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7608640/v1/d8391d4f678add047b7f7687.xml"},{"id":94988097,"identity":"809ff114-dede-4a0b-b2e9-fa6eb6ee48bd","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-11-03 07:04:36","extension":"html","order_by":16,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":118800,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"earlyproof.html","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7608640/v1/1a14963a9332662d4958b87d.html"},{"id":94991001,"identity":"21852e7a-efef-4eb4-b5e3-bda0a55821e2","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-11-03 07:18:50","extension":"pdf","order_by":1,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"manuscript-pdf","size":431157,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"OriginalArticle.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7608640/v1_covered_d48557d8-b173-4004-a91d-69ebc20af4e3.pdf"}],"financialInterests":"No competing interests reported.","formattedTitle":"A Quasi-Experimental Study to Assess the Effectiveness of Awareness Program on Knowledge and Practice Regarding MAA (Mother’s Absolute Affection) Programme Among Postnatal Mothers in Selected Hospitals","fulltext":[],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":false,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":false,"hideJournal":false,"highlight":"","institution":"","isAcceptedByJournal":false,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":true,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":false,"isPdf":true,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"bmc-pregnancy-and-childbirth","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"prch","sideBox":"Learn more about [BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth](http://bmcpregnancychildbirth.biomedcentral.com/)","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"https://www.editorialmanager.com/prch/default.aspx","title":"BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth","twitterHandle":"@BMC_series","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"em","reportingPortfolio":"BMC Series","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true},"keywords":"Counseling, Breastfeeding, Health, Newborn","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-7608640/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-7608640/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eIntroduction:\u003c/strong\u003e The \"Mothers' Absolute Affection\" (MAA) program was launched by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on August 5, 2016, to promote breastfeeding and provide counseling services. The initiative aims to strengthen breastfeeding support through health systems nationwide.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAims:\u003c/strong\u003e This study aimed to assess postnatal mothers' knowledge and practice levels regarding the MAA program and to determine the correlation between knowledge and practice scores regarding the MAA program.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMaterials and methods:\u003c/strong\u003e A quasi-experimental pre-test and post-test study was conducted at Acharya Vinobha Bhave Rural Hospital, Sawangi, Meghe, Wardha district. A total of 80 postnatal mothers participated in the study. A structured questionnaire was used to assess knowledge and practice levels before and after the awareness session. The session, conducted by a trained nursing educator, lasted one hour and covered key aspects of breastfeeding, the benefits of the MAA program, and practical breastfeeding techniques. The pre-test was administered before the session, and the post-test was conducted seven days later to measure knowledge retention and behavioral change. A paired t-test was applied to compare pre-test and post-test knowledge and practice scores. Chi-square tests were used to assess associations between knowledge scores and demographic factors. Pearson’s correlation coefficient was applied to examine the relationship between knowledge and practice scores. A p-value of \u0026lt;0.05 was considered statistically significant.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eResults:\u003c/strong\u003e The majority of participants showed significant improvement in knowledge and practice after the intervention. The mean knowledge score increased from 5.825 (±2.27) to 8.55 (±1.61), with 49 (61.20%) achieving a fair level and 21 (26.20%) reaching a good level. The mean practice score improved from 1.67 (±1.17) to 3.71 (±1.04), with 67 (83.75%) attaining a good practice level. A moderate positive correlation was found between knowledge and practice scores (r = 0.286, p = 0.010). Significant associations were observed between knowledge scores and demographic factors such as age (p = 0.0001) and education level (p = 0.0001).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eConclusion:\u003c/strong\u003e The study highlights the effectiveness of the awareness program in enhancing knowledge and practice among postnatal mothers. Targeted educational interventions are essential for improving maternal and child health outcomes.\u003c/p\u003e","manuscriptTitle":"A Quasi-Experimental Study to Assess the Effectiveness of Awareness Program on Knowledge and Practice Regarding MAA (Mother’s Absolute Affection) Programme Among Postnatal Mothers in Selected Hospitals","msid":"","msnumber":"","nonDraftVersions":[{"code":1,"date":"2025-11-02 17:23:04","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-7608640/v1","editorialEvents":[{"type":"communityComments","content":0},{"type":"editorInvitedReview","content":"","date":"2026-01-31T16:15:26+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"314532875037098735554228070255722024347","date":"2026-01-21T05:25:20+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewersInvited","content":"","date":"2025-10-22T03:02:59+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorInvited","content":"","date":"2025-09-23T16:00:32+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorAssigned","content":"","date":"2025-09-20T11:33:57+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"checksComplete","content":"","date":"2025-09-20T11:33:17+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"submitted","content":"BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth","date":"2025-09-13T16:37:55+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""}],"status":"published","journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"bmc-pregnancy-and-childbirth","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"prch","sideBox":"Learn more about [BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth](http://bmcpregnancychildbirth.biomedcentral.com/)","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"https://www.editorialmanager.com/prch/default.aspx","title":"BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth","twitterHandle":"@BMC_series","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"em","reportingPortfolio":"BMC Series","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true}}],"origin":"","ownerIdentity":"a609821e-3b74-47c8-acd8-cf8cc964d999","owner":[],"postedDate":"November 2nd, 2025","published":true,"recentEditorialEvents":[],"rejectedJournal":[],"revision":"","amendment":"","status":"under-review","subjectAreas":[],"tags":[],"updatedAt":"2025-11-02T17:23:04+00:00","versionOfRecord":[],"versionCreatedAt":"2025-11-02 17:23:04","video":"","vorDoi":"","vorDoiUrl":"","workflowStages":[]},"version":"v1","identity":"rs-7608640","journalConfig":"researchsquare"},"__N_SSP":true},"page":"/article/[identity]/[[...version]]","query":{"redirect":"/article/rs-7608640","identity":"rs-7608640","version":["v1"]},"buildId":"8U1c8b4HqxoKbykW_rLl7","isFallback":false,"isExperimentalCompile":false,"dynamicIds":[84888],"gssp":true,"scriptLoader":[]}