Effects of a Newborn Care Education Program on Newborn Care Confidence and Behavioral Accuracy of Primiparas in a Postpartum Care Center

PURPOSE: The study aimed to identify the effects of a newborn care education program on newborn care confidence and behavioral accuracy of primiparas in a postpartum care center. METHOD: This was a quasi-experimental study with a non-equivalent control group non-synchronized design. Subjects were 29 primiparas selected from a postpartum care center in D and P hospitals in Ulsan. The intervention was a newborn care education program which was composed of education with a booklet, demonstration, watching a video, and verbal encouragement. The outcome variables were newborn care confidence and behavioral accuracy. Data was collected from Feb. 1 to Mar 22 in 2005 with self-administered questionnaires and observation by researchers. Data was analyzed using the chi(2)-test, Fisher's exact test, t-test and ANCOVA. RESULT: The experimental group showed significantly higher score changes between the pre-test and post-test in confidence and behavioral accuracy than the control group. CONCLUSION: The newborn care education program showed positive effects on newborn care confidence and behavioral accuracy of primiparas in a postpartum care center. Therefore, we recommend that this program should be applied in postpartum care centers.