Influence of Infant Massage Health Education on Maternal Attitudes in Tempelrejo Village, Sragen Regency Alisa Rizky Mauludia1, Tyas Ning Yuni Astuti Anggraini2
1Bachelor^s Degree Student in Midwifery, Faculty of Health Sciences, Universitas Jenderal Achmad Yani Yogyakarta, Indonesia.
2Lecturer in Midwifery, Faculty of Health Sciences, Universitas Jenderal Achmad Yani Yogyakarta, Indonesia.
Corresponding Author: alisamauludia[at]gmail.com
Abstract
Background: The first 1000 days of life, also known as the Golden Age Period, encompass the period from pregnancy to a child^s second birthday. Some sources extend this period up to five years, but the most critical phase is typically considered to be from birth to two years of age. Infant massage is one form of kinesthetic stimulation that offers various physiological and biochemical benefits to children. Despite the numerous advantages, many mothers hesitate to massage their infants due to concerns about doing it incorrectly and potentially causing harm. Additionally, some believe that infants should not be massaged frequently as their bodies are still fragile. To bring about behavioral changes, it is essential to enhance knowledge, leading to positive attitudes and a shift in individuals^ perspectives, ultimately turning reluctance into acceptance and the adoption of healthy behaviors.
Objective: To determine the influence of infant massage on maternal attitudes in Tempelrejo Village, Sragen Regency.
Methods: This research employed a quasi-experimental design with a before-and-after approach without a comparison group. The study involved a sample of 30 mothers with children aged 0-5 years. Quota sampling was used as the sampling technique.
Findings: Maternal characteristics included age, education, occupation, information about infant massage, sources of infant massage information, experience with infant massage, and infant massage therapists. The pretest yielded a mean score of 13.13, while the posttest yielded a mean score of 15.90 with a p-value of 0.000 (p<0.05).
Conclusion: There is an influence of infant massage education on maternal attitudes in Tempelrejo Village, Sragen Regency, with an average difference of 2.77.
Keywords: Health Education- Infant Massage- Maternal Attitude.