Research On Health Literacy And Pregnancy Outcomes Among Pregnant Women

BackgroundHealth literacy emphasizes that individuals use their knowledge, skills, and ability to participate in health related affairs. Recently, the situation of high cesarean section rate, huge birth rate, and infant feeding problem highlights the issue to improve the health literacy level of maternal and child. The current related research in China mainly focuses on methodologies of assessment, but is rarely applied to maternal health literacy. More importantly, deep analysis of the influencing factors of maternal health literacy in our country is of lack, especially with the three important periods of ante-partum, delivery and postpartum. Related study on maternal health literacy level and pregnancy outcome is rare.ObjectiveTo explore the relationship between the health literacy level of pregnant women and pregnancy outcomes, in order to assess the related factors affecting the health literacy level of pregnant women.MethodsBased on the inclusion and exclusion criteria,300patients at late pregnancy who underwent regular antenatal examinations in the Fourth People’s Hospital of Jinan City were suitable for our cross-sectional study. Three aspects including basic information of pregnant women, maternal and child health literacy assessment table and postnatal maternal questionnaire are used to describe the distribution of health literacy, analyze the influential factors on the pregnancy outcome and its related impacts. The result was analysis by spss19.0statistical analysis software.Result 1.The basic health literacy of263pregnant women is1.52%,and the awareness rate of knowledge、the master rate of health skills and healthy lifestyle and behavior was50.67%,48.41%,46.39%. Pregnant women who possess basic health knowledge have characteristics:25-29years old, college degree or above, engaged in administrative management. The characteristics of women who have a healthy lifestyle and behavior are:35years old and above, college, rural migrant workers in cities. People have a healthy crowd:25-29years old, undergraduate skills and administrative management. The result is that maternal education level, occupation, payment, income level and the times of prenatal examination are important factors to affect the level of health literacy.2. The relationship of maternal health literacy score and birth outcomes is:the total score of health literacy with overweight in late pregnancy, macrosomia, cesarean section, postpartum hemorrhage and the incidence of anemia is negatively correlated (p<0.01, p<0.05);and it positively correlates with hope the natural birth rate and the natural childbirth rate (p<0.01); At the same time, we also found that compared to gestational diabetes incidence, there is no statistical significance. The highest incidence of gestational diabetes of pregnant women is over the age of35(58.3%), and different age groups have statistical significance (p<0.05).Score of healthy lifestyle and behavior with hope the natural birth rate, the natural childbirth rate and vaginal delivery rate was positively correlated (p<0.01); and negatively correlated with macrosomia, cesarean section and complicated anaemia.(p<0.01). Health skill scores with the frequency of prenatal examination, the natural childbirth rate and postpartum half an hour breastfeeding success rate was positively correlated (p<0.01); and negatively correlated with the rate of cesarean section and the incidence of anemia (p<0.01).Conclusion1.The overall level of maternal health literacy is generally low. Basic knowledge of awareness is better than a healthy lifestyle and behavior and health skills rate.People who have the basic knowledge and skills are25-29years old, college degree or above, engaged in administrative management.People who possess a healthy lifestyle and behaviors are about35years old, college and rural laborers. 2.Educational level, occupation, payment, income level and the times of prenatal examination are important factors to affect the level of health literacy.3.Health literacy level is closely related to pregnancy outcomes. High health literacy level will be with better pregnancy outcomes.4.People who with low health literacy:below25years old or over35years of age, lower education level, with physical labor crowd, and the key point mainly to enhance the health knowledge and skill training.Suggestion1.First, strengthening the leading role of the government is necessary.The government should launch a larger-scale program to improve pregnancy health knowledge in various forms using mass media and other means.2.The community clinic should play an important role in maternal and infant health care.Promote the sustainable development of two-way referral of large hospitals and community health service institutions.3.Health education is important.By reducing the difficulty of the reading material, the enthusiasm of pregnant women is improved, so as to improve the compliance behavior compliance.4.To emphasize health skills in promoting the health literacy level of maternal and child in pregnant women, and to provide individual pregnancy health index are necessary. Training and demonstrating necessary skills should be done with ante-partum.5.The interventions of maternal and child health literacy should be well done.