Abstract:
Introduction: Understanding the antenatal mothers’ knowledge and attitude towards family planning
(FP) helps to enhance their family well-being. This study aimed to evaluate the knowledge, attitude and
factors associated with family planning practices (FPP) among antenatal mothers attending a state
hospital in Sri Lanka. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out with the
participation of 500 antenatal mothers attending clinic services at the Teaching Hospital, Mahamodara,
Sri Lanka. A pre-tested, self-administered questionnaire was used for data collection. Data were
analyzed using the SPSS version 25. Descriptive statistics and chi-square tests were employed in data
analysis. Results: The majority of antenatal mothers were Sinhalese (92.6%) and Buddhists (91.2%).
The majority was in the age group of 20-30 years (57.8%) and lived in rural areas (85.0%). Among the
study participants, 41.2% were primiparous. The mean scores obtained for knowledge and attitude on
FPP were 19.54 (±5.43) and 26.20 (±4.18), respectively. Among the participants, 41.0% had moderate
and 27.4% had high level of knowledge on FPP. Ethnicity, religion, and parity (p<0.001) were
associated with the level of knowledge. Sinhalese, Buddhist women with high parity, had a higher level
of knowledge (p<0.001). Only 58.4% had a positive attitude on FPP. Ethnicity (p=0.04), religion
(p=0.03) and educational status (p=0.02) were associated with attitude on FPP. Antenatal mothers who
were, Sinhalese, Buddhist and educated up to G.C.E. (A/L) had positive attitudes on FPP (p<0.05).
Conclusions: A high proportion of antenatal mothers had moderate to high level of knowledge and
positive attitude on FPP, which were significantly associated with ethnicity, religion, education and
parity.