Objective: To assess the effects of a health and nutrition educational intervention on maternal knowledge,
attitudes and practices.
Design: Pre- and post-test design using structured interviews of pregnant women.
Setting: Thirty-nine villages in Central Java Province, Indonesia.
Method: Pregnant women (N = 252) at 12–20 weeks of gestation were randomly allocated at the village level
into education intervention and control groups. Women in the intervention group received health and nutrition
education, while those in control group did not. Educational sessions were provided monthly until delivery.
Results: After the intervention, women in the education group had better knowledge about the risks and
consequences of getting worm infection and the causes, consequences and prevention of anaemia during
pregnancy; expressed stronger intentions to feed colostrum (91.9% vs. 78.2%, P = 0.003); to breastfeed
within one hour of birth (80.4% vs. 68.9%, P = 0.004); to breastfeed exclusively for six months (77.2% vs.
62.7%, P = 0.014); to breastfeed for 24 months (P = 0.06); and also had better knowledge of practices related
to the early initiation of breastfeeding (0.5 hour [25th–75th 0.5–6] vs. two hour [0.5–17.5], P = 0.052); of
24-hour exclusive breastfeeding (51.2% vs. 31.1%, P = 0.006); of giving birth at health facilities (71.9% vs. 58%,
P = 0.024); and of birth assisted by skilled birth attendants (90.1% vs. 81.5%, P = 0.057) than their control
counterparts.
Conclusion: The reported change in knowledge, attitudes and reported practices may be attributable to
the health and nutrition education provided during pregnancy.