Journal of Education and Health Promotion

Investigating the effect of health literacy level on improving the quality of care during pregnancy in pregnant women covered by health centers

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

. Leila Asadi 1
. Fatemeh Amiri 2
. Hadise Safinejad 3

1 Department of Midwifery and Reproductive Health, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran, Department of Midwifery, Research Center for Nursing and Midwifery Care, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran

2 Shohada Kargar Hospital, Midwifery Ward, Yazd, Iran

3 Midwifery Faculty, Kerman Branch, Islamic Azad University, Kerman, Iran

Abstract
BACKGROUND: Health literacy is the capacity to acquire, process, and understand basic information
and services necessary for appropriate health decisions. Given the importance of health literacy in
women, the aim of the present study was to determine the effect of health literacy level on improving
the quality of care during pregnancy in pregnant women.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: The present study was a cross‑sectional analytical study. In this
study, 130 women referred to Yazd health centers were examined. Health literacy questionnaires
and a researcher‑made checklist of the quality of pregnancy care were used to gather information.
The researcher‑made checklist of the quality of pregnancy care was in accordance with the standard
protocol of the Ministry of Health and Medical Education, entitled Integrated Health Care for Pregnant
Mothers, which was validated and reliable. SPSS statistical software version 19 and t‑test and ANOVA
statistical tests were used to analyze the data.
RESULTS: According to the findings, the average score of health literacy in pregnant women was
74.09, which showed that the level of health literacy was in the marginal or border range. People
with higher health literacy received significantly more prenatal counseling than other women and
had a planned pregnancy (P = 0.04).
CONCLUSION: The level of health literacy in pregnant women is unfavorable. Given that the high
level of health literacy in women in society can lead to an increase in the quality of pregnancy care, so
to increase health literacy in women, it is recommended that regular training in society by health‑care
providers be given more attention.

Keywords

Health‑care quality
health literacy
pregnancy
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Journal of Education and Health Promotion
Volume 10, Issue 10
October 2020
Pages 1-6

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