Abstract
BACKGROUND: The Mothers' Absolute Affection (MAA) program is a national initiative launched by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India, on August 5, 2016, to promote, support, and protect breastfeeding across the country. The program aims to provide focused breastfeeding promotion and counseling services through the health system. It targets approximately 39 million pregnant and nursing mothers, 880,000 Accredited Social Health Activists, 150,000 subcenters, and 17,000 delivery points across all states and union territories. Despite its wide reach, there remains a lack of valid and reliable tools to assess mothers' knowledge and practices related to breastfeeding and the MAA program. OBJECTIVE: The aims of this study are to assess the existing knowledge and practice regarding the MAA program among postnatal mothers, to evaluate the effectiveness of an awareness program on knowledge and practice regarding the MAA program, to correlate knowledge and practice regarding the MAA program among postnatal mothers, and to associate knowledge and practice with selected demographic variables. METHODS: A quasi-experimental one-group pretest and posttest design was used to evaluate the effectiveness of an awareness program for the MAA program among postnatal mothers. The study was conducted at a selected hospital with a sample of 80 postnatal mothers selected through inclusion and exclusion criteria. On Day 1, participants underwent a pretest followed by an awareness session on the MAA program. A posttest was administered on Day 2. Knowledge was assessed using a structured questionnaire consisting of 15 items, while practice was evaluated using a 5-point Likert scale. Data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics, including paired t tests and χ2 tests. RESULTS: Knowledge scores were classified into three levels-poor (0%-33.33%), fair (33.34%-66.66%), and good (66.67%-100%)-based on the number of correct responses out of 15. Practice was categorized as poor (0%-50%) or good (51%-100%) based on the 5-point scale score. The study revealed significant improvements in both knowledge and practice following the awareness intervention, indicating that the program was effective. The scoring procedure provided a comprehensive understanding of the awareness and practical implementation of the MAA program among postnatal mothers. CONCLUSIONS: The awareness program significantly improved the knowledge and practices of postnatal mothers regarding the MAA program, emphasizing the value of educational interventions in promoting breastfeeding.