Abstract

A study of the knowledge, attitude and practices about the maternal and child health of 305 married women residing in apartments at the Yonsei community Health area was conducted during the period from November to December 1970 using designed questionnaire with well trained interviews. The results and findings obtained from the study are summarized as follows : A. Pregnancy and Birth. Questions were asked about their last child. 1. 16.4% of the women were pregnant. 2. Among 281 women who hand experienced delivery, 48.0% were assisted by doctor or midwives for their last delivery, while the rest of women delivered their last baby at home without any professional's assistance. The higher the level of education or the greater exposure to mass communication, the more the deliveries were assisted by doctors or midwives. Those women who were born and raised in cities had more deliveries assisted by doctors and midwives than those who were not. 3. Kinds of delivery sheets used. Among 141 cases of home delivery 68% used cement bag paper or vinyl sheets. Three% used nothing and remained used unsterile materials. 4. Among 141 cases of home delivery, 70.2% used scissors. The rest of them used other methods. 5. 47.3% of the women had a rest for one month or more after birth. The higher the level of education, the longer the period of rest was observed. 6. 52.4% of the women fed the colostrum to their babies. This was not related to the mother's education. 7. About half(42.9%) of the women had poor knowledge about a proper diet for the pre and post natal period. B. Child Health. 1. Knowledge and practice regarding to the immunization for their children : Most of the women (93.2%) could name at least one kind of immunization. 20.3% could name 6 kinds of immunization. Mothers education level did not influence their ability to name immunizations. 85.2% of children had been immunized at least once. 2. Morbidity of last born children : 48.1% of their last born children were found to have been sick during the last year. Less than half (41.5%) of the sick children were seen by doctor. 3. Counselling at well baby clinic : most of the women (76.5%) had no counselling for their children. Registration rate at the well baby clinic at the Severance Hospital was 13.2%. 45.9% wanted to visit to the well baby clinic at the Severance Hospital. 4. Weaning Period : 44.6% said that the beginning of the weaning for their last born children was from 6 months to twelve months of age. The most important reason of weaning was the health of both mothers and children. 5. Knowledge and Practice regarding birth and death Registration : 64.6% of the women could name correctly the Ku-office as the place for the registration. Only 29.2% registered the birth of their last born children within 14 days. C. Knowledge, Attitude and Practice regarding to family planning Most : of the women accepted the idea of family planning. 97.7% could name at least one contraceptive method. 35.4% were found to be current users of countraceptive methods. The ideal number of children was 3.1 in average.