KNOWLEDGE, ATTITUDE AND PRACTICE, REGARDING MATERNITY CARE AMONG MARRIED WOMEN RELATED TO AGE, EDUCATION AND ANTENATAL CARE IN DIFFERENT MATERNITY HOMES OF CENTRAL DISTRICT KARACHI, PAKISTAN.

Objective:This study aims to assess the knowledge, attitudes and practices regarding on maternal health care and the contributing factors to being knowledgeable among married women age between 15 to 45 years of Central District of Karachi, Pakistan Material and Methods:Study Design and Setting: The study was observational cross sectional study and this study was carried randomized selected in maternity homes of Liaquatabad Town, North Nazimabad Town, Gulberg Town, New Karachi Town women, Karachi; that are involve in dealing with married Women Age between 15 to 45 years in different maternity homes of central district Karachi. Study Duration:This proposed study was conducted on human subject, over a period of 6 months. Sample Size: Totally 385 were interviewed and completed the self- administered questionnaire after obtaining informed consent.Data would be coded, entered and analyzed using SPSS (version 16.0) package. Data was expressed in percentage. Result: Total of 385 married women attending maternity health care were interviewed using cluster sampling method.The age distribution was, such that 72.9% of the respondents were 20 to 34, age at marriage 74.0% were above 20 years, 32.7% of them received High school education, 67.5% of the participants were house wife and 74.0% of them were between 1 to 4 previous deliveries. Previous induced/ spontaneous abortion were asked to married pregnant women 70.9% answered was no. Status of women to their husband?s status we found that 74.5% of them were Karachi residences and 43.1% received High school education. 58.9% were of women whose husbands worked in business or services and 34.0% of women visited antenatal care once time and 30.1% of women visited antenatal care three times. >94.2% women knew that antenatal care is important and agreed with first antenatal examination be done within the first 3 months, anemia is prevented by eating more iron-containing food during pregnancy, 84.9% of answer was affirmative, need calcium supply, 90.1% answer was positive. Our study results are satisfied with antenatal care, information given to them by doctors about delivery. Conclusion:The awareness regarding the importance of maternity health care is the need of this era. The antenatal checkups are helpful to mothers as well as to the fetus