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Effect of Antenatal Group Education on Pregnancy Health Knowledge among Pregnant Women in Nigeria

Abstract

Pregnancy health knowledge is an important component of antenatal care because adequate knowledge enables pregnant women to make informed decisions, adopt healthy behaviours, recognize potential complications, and seek appropriate healthcare when necessary. In Nigeria, pregnant women may have varying levels of knowledge regarding antenatal care, nutrition, maternal danger signs, infection prevention, medication safety, birth preparedness, fetal wellbeing, and other essential aspects of pregnancy health. Inadequate pregnancy health knowledge may contribute to delayed recognition of complications, inappropriate health practices, and missed opportunities for timely healthcare. Antenatal group education provides an opportunity for healthcare providers to deliver structured pregnancy health information to several pregnant women simultaneously while encouraging interaction, questions, discussion, and peer learning. Regular group education may reinforce important pregnancy health messages and improve women's understanding of recommended practices throughout pregnancy. Against this background, this study investigates the effect of antenatal group education on pregnancy health knowledge among pregnant women in Nigeria. The study will be anchored on the Health Belief Model, Social Cognitive Theory, and Adult Learning Theory. The Health Belief Model explains how pregnant women's perceptions of pregnancy-related health risks, perceived severity of complications, perceived benefits of preventive practices, perceived barriers, and cues to action may influence their acquisition and application of pregnancy health knowledge. Social Cognitive Theory emphasizes observational learning, self-efficacy, social interaction, reinforcement, and environmental influences in developing health-related knowledge and behaviours. Adult Learning Theory emphasizes relevant, practical, participatory, and experience-based education as important elements in improving learning among adults. Collectively, these theoretical perspectives provide a suitable framework for explaining how antenatal group education may influence pregnancy health knowledge among pregnant women in Nigeria. The study will adopt a quantitative analytical cross-sectional or quasi-experimental research design. The study population will comprise pregnant women attending selected antenatal clinics in hospitals and primary healthcare centres across Nigeria. A multistage sampling technique will be used to select states, local government areas, communities, healthcare facilities, antenatal clinics, and eligible pregnant women. Antenatal group education will be assessed using indicators such as availability of structured group education sessions, frequency and duration of sessions, attendance, number and relevance of topics covered, participation in discussions, question-and-answer opportunities, use of educational materials, practical demonstrations, healthcare-provider involvement, and peer interaction. Pregnancy health knowledge will be assessed using indicators such as knowledge of recommended antenatal care, pregnancy nutrition, maternal danger signs, infection prevention, medication safety, fetal wellbeing, physical activity, personal hygiene, birth preparedness, recognition of pregnancy complications, and appropriate healthcare-seeking practices. Data will be collected using structured questionnaires and validated pregnancy health knowledge assessment instruments where appropriate, together with antenatal attendance and group education records. Descriptive statistics will be used to summarize participants' characteristics, exposure to antenatal group education, attendance patterns, and pregnancy health knowledge scores. Inferential statistical techniques, including chi-square tests, t-tests, correlation analysis, and logistic or multiple regression analysis where appropriate, will be used to determine the effect of antenatal group education on pregnancy health knowledge. Where a quasi-experimental design is adopted, pregnancy health knowledge scores before and after participation in structured group education may be compared, while relevant demographic, socioeconomic, obstetric, educational, and healthcare-access factors are appropriately controlled. Diagnostic tests will also be conducted to assess the reliability, validity, and robustness of the findings. The study is expected to find that antenatal group education has a significant positive effect on pregnancy health knowledge among pregnant women in Nigeria. Women who participate in structured antenatal group education are expected to demonstrate higher pregnancy health knowledge scores than women who receive limited or routine individual counselling alone. Group education may improve understanding through repeated exposure to important health information, interactive discussions, practical demonstrations, and opportunities to clarify misconceptions. Peer interaction may further reinforce learning and encourage the sharing of appropriate pregnancy health experiences. However, overcrowded antenatal clinics, limited session time, inadequate educational materials, language differences, varying literacy levels, shortage of trained educators, and irregular attendance may reduce the effectiveness of group education. The study therefore expects well-structured, participatory, culturally appropriate, and regularly delivered antenatal group education to contribute significantly to improved pregnancy health knowledge among pregnant women in Nigeria. The study is expected to contribute to the literature on antenatal group education, pregnancy health knowledge, antenatal care, maternal health education, pregnancy health promotion, maternal health literacy, birth preparedness, and public health in Nigeria. The findings will provide useful information to the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, National Primary Health Care Development Agency, state ministries of health, hospitals, primary healthcare centres, midwives, nurses, obstetricians, maternal health programmes, development partners, and policymakers regarding strategies for strengthening antenatal health education. The study will also provide evidence-based recommendations for integrating structured group education into routine antenatal care, developing standardized educational materials, training healthcare providers in participatory education techniques, adapting educational content to local languages and literacy levels, improving antenatal group-session organization, and strengthening maternal health education across Nigeria.

Keywords: Antenatal group education, pregnancy health knowledge, pregnant women, antenatal care, maternal health education, pregnancy health promotion, maternal health literacy, birth preparedness, Nigeria, public health.