The knowledge, attitude & behaviour on neonatal jaundice of postnatal mothers in Provincial General Hospital, Badulla.

Objectives: To determine the knowledge, attitude & behaviour on neonatal jaundice of postnatal mothers in Provincial General Hospital (PGH), Badulla. Method: In this observational cross-sectional study, 396 mothers, who delivered at PGH Badulla from 1st May 2010 to 15th June 2010, were interviewed using a structured questionnaire. The questionnaire was used to assess the participant’s knowledge, attitude and behaviour on neonatal jaundice. Results: The mean knowledge score was 31±14, the mean attitude score 65.7±20.6 and the mean behaviour score 66.1±18.8. Ethnicity, level of education and previous experience with neonatal jaundice showed a significant association with the knowledge score. Conclusions: The knowledge of neonatal jaundice among postnatal mothers was low. There was significant correlation between mothers’ attitude and behaviour scores with the knowledge scores.