Key Determinants Influencing the Health Literacy of Pregnant Women in the Czech Republic

Predictors Related to Quality of Life in Pregnant Women

Background

Assessment of quality of life (QoL) during pregnancy can be a starting point for streamlining and promoting the humanization of evidence-based healthcare. We aimed to determine the life quality in pregnant women and its predictors.

Methods

A cross-sectional study was conducted on pregnant women from Slovakia from March 2020 to January 2021. A method of purposive sampling was used. The research sample consisted of 393 women (age 29.11±4.65) with physiological pregnancy. Questionnaire method was used. The first part of the questionnaire consisted of a set of questions focused on identification items, which also represented the investigated predictors. The second part was the standardized questionnaire "Quality Of Life-Gravidity Questionnaire"(QOLGRAV), with Cronbach's alpha value of 0.74. The received data were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics.

Results

The average life quality score was 18.79±5.04, which oscillates at the level of very good life quality. The lower life quality was recorded in connection with physical changes, satisfaction with social life, concerns about childbirth management failure and a need for physical activity reduction. Education (P=0.008), course of pregnancy (P=0.001), support from healthcare professionals (P=0.003) and concerns about COVID-19 (P=0.001) were the predictors of life quality.

Conclusion

The proven significant predictors of life quality of pregnant women have shown that healthcare professionals should pay increased attention to the pregnant women with higher education and with problematic pregnancy, positively support and motivate pregnant women and be even more attentivedue to the current COVID-19 pandemic.

Health literacy and related behaviour among pregnant women with obesity: a qualitative interpretive description study

Background

Obesity in pregnant women is increasing worldwide, affecting the health of both mother and baby. Obesity may be associated with inadequate health literacy, a central competence when navigating antenatal health information and services. This study explores women’s health literacy by examining their knowledge, motivation and skills to access, understand and evaluate health information and the related behaviour among a sample of pregnant women with a prepregnant body mass index (BMI) > 25 kg/m².

Methods

An inductive, qualitative study using an interpretive description methodology. Data was collected through ten semi-structured interviews with pregnant women with a prepregnancy BMI > 25 kg/m² attending antenatal care at the midwifery clinic at Aarhus University Hospital in the Central Denmark Region.

Results

Pregnant women with obesity understand general health information provided by health professionals, but translating this knowledge into specific healthy behaviours presents a challenge. Although difficulties navigating booking systems and available digital services contribute to this problem, apps can help facilitate navigation. However, successful navigation may depend on adequate e-health literacy. Conflicting information from health professionals, social media and families also present a challenge for pregnant women, requiring a broad skillset for critical evaluation and resolution.

Conclusions

Adequate health literacy is necessary for pregnant women receiving antenatal care to (i) translate general health information into personalised healthy behaviour, (ii) access and navigate complex and digitalised systems, and (iii) critically evaluate conflicting information. Person-centred differentiation in the organisation of antenatal care may benefit vulnerable pregnant women with inadequate health literacy.

Trial registration

The study was registered cf. General Data Protection Regulation, Aarhus University Journal number 2016–051-000001, serial number 1934.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12884-022-05023-0.

Factors for Effective Identification of Patients at Nutritional Risk in Clinical Practice: Thematic Analysis of Qualitative Research

Introduction

Despite the high prevalence of malnutrition in patients at all levels of healthcare, early prevention and treatment of malnourished patients are often neglected and overlooked in clinical practice. The aim of this systematic literature review was to identify the factors considered most important by healthcare professionals in the identification and treatment of malnourished patients or those at risk of malnutrition.

Methods

A systematic literature review of qualitative research was conducted. Documents published in scientific journals in English from 2011 to 2021 were searched in the PubMed (MEDLINE), CINAHL and ProQuest databases. The results were analysed with a thematic analysis of qualitative research findings.

Results

From the search set of 1010 results, 7 sources were included in the final analysis. Factors identified by health professionals as important in the identification and treatment of malnourished patients in clinical practice were grouped into five themes: unclear organizational structure; indefinite structure of nutritional care; poor continuity of nutritional care; lack of knowledge and skills of health professionals; lack of time and human resources.

Conclusions

Health policy must provide resources for nutritional care for patients at all levels of health care on the initiative of the highest professional bodies at the state level. To improve the nutritional care of patients in clinical practice, the management of health care institutions must promote and enable the professional and organizational establishment of clinical nutrition as a regular medical activity of the institution, develop clinical nutritional pathways, and promote evidence-based clinical practice and interprofessional collaboration.

From Dimensions, Levels and Domains to Context-specific Conceptualizations of Health Literacy

Health literacy refers to skills and knowledge that enable individuals to navigate health-related information environments, to function in healthcare systems, and to practice behaviors that lead to better health outcomes. Accordingly, health literacy is one of the major preoccupations of public health scholars, policies, and strategies. However, it is a complex, multidimensional, and dynamic concept that incorporates different kinds of health-related skills and knowledge. This editorial briefly presents dimensions, levels, and domains of health literacy and discusses a growing need to acknowledge health literacy as a context-specific concept that includes various forms with context-specific conceptualizations. More specifically, it focuses on three health literacy forms that are gaining attention, namely e-health literacy, vaccine literacy, and mental health literacy. By emphasizing the importance of health literacy research for this journal and in general this editorial calls for increasing engagement in this field and invites further contributions on the topic.

Health Literacy-Sensitive Counselling on Early Childhood Allergy Prevention: Results of a Qualitative Study on German Midwives' Perspectives

In Germany, midwives are involved in extensive antenatal and postnatal care. As health professionals, they can play a key role in strengthening health literacy (HL) of parents on how to prevent chronic allergic diseases in their children. The objective of this study is to explore midwives' perspectives regarding HL-sensitive counselling in early childhood allergy prevention (ECAP). Twenty-four qualitative semi-structured interviews were conducted with midwives, and data were analyzed using qualitative content analysis. Only a small number of study participants were aware of HL as a concept. However, most of these use screening and counselling strategies which consider individual information needs and which support parental HL. HL sensitivity in counselling is largely based on the midwives' "gut feelings" and counselling experience, rather than on formal education. The midwives were largely aware of evidence-based ECAP recommendations; however, allergy prevention was not seen as a stand-alone topic but as part of their general counselling on infant feeding and hygiene. They found parents to be more open to receiving complex prevention information during antenatal counselling. In order to strengthen midwives' roles in HL-sensitive ECAP counselling, their formal education should provide them with explicit HL knowledge and counselling skills. ECAP should be an inherent part of antenatal care.

'The newest vital sign among pregnant women attending women wellness and research Centre in Qatar: a cross-sectional study'

Background

Health literacy is a vital strategy to consider when designing health-promoting programs, and health literacy is a priority in Qatar’s national health agenda. In the context of pregnancy, inadequate health literacy has been linked to several adverse outcomes among pregnant women such as unplanned conception, smoking, and lack of multi-vitamin intake. Given the paucity of data, this study aimed to assess the level of health literacy and its determinants among pregnant women in the State of Qatar.

Methods

An analytical cross-sectional design was utilized. First, we piloted the measurement tools on 10% of the calculated sample size. Accordingly, the items of the measurement tools were revised. Next, we utilized a structured questionnaire to interview the participants about their socio-demographic characteristics, pregnancy-related factors, and the Newest Vital Sign Tool. A chi-square test was employed to investigate the association level among variables, with significance set to P < 0.05. A logistic regression model was used to identify the factors associated with a low literacy level.

Results

We found that almost four in 10 pregnant women (n = 138,45.4%) had inadequate health literacy. Furthermore, the insufficient level of health literacy was significantly associated with low educational background, decreased household income, and primigravida. However, uncontrolled glycaemia was the only significant predictor of inadequate health literacy through logistic regression. The scale was found to be reliable, with a calculated Cronbach’s alpha of 0.8.

Conclusions

Low health literacy is common among pregnant women in the State of Qatar. Thus, public health officials should focus on delivering tailored health literacy interventions to pregnant women in the country.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12884-021-03542-w.

Social Determinants Predicting the Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices of Women Toward Zika Virus Infection

Objective: To investigate the factors predicting knowledge, attitude, and practices (KAP) toward Zika virus infection among women population in Cebu City, Philippines. Study Design: A cross-sectional survey was conducted from March 2018 to May 2018. Ethical practices were followed. A total of 702 women was approached and finally 516 completed the survey. Methods: Descriptive analysis was undertaken for the participants' characteristics. Kolmogorov-Smirnov test was applied to declare the nature of data distribution. To determine the role of socio-demographic characteristics on KAP, differences in socio-demographic status were compared with the KAP scores using the one-way analysis of variance or Kruskal-Wallis test with p < 0.05 as significant. Logistic regression analysis was used to determine the predictors of each KAP domain (good and poor). Results: There was a significant positive correlation between level of education and KAP scores. Also, there was a significant positive correlation between employment and KAP scores. Knowledge score was a significant predictor of practice score (b = 1.261, p = 0.024), and attitude score was also a significant predictor of practice score (b = 0.183, p = 0.039). However, knowledge score was not a significant predictor of attitude score (b = 0.316, p = 0.247). Conclusions: The present findings provided an overall view of KAP on Zika virus infection among females in Philippines and the socio-demographic factors that affected their KAP. Women with postgraduate education and being in higher profession were the predictors influencing the KAP scores of this female population. Women with postgraduate education was the strongest predictor.

The Outcomes of Pregnancy and Childbirth in Adolescents in Slovenia

Introduction

The objective of the study was to determine the course and outcomes of pregnancy and childbirth in adolescents compared to women aged 20–24 years in Slovenia.

Methods

In the retrospective study, the course of pregnancy and labour and the perinatal outcome of newborns in primiparous adolescents aged ≤19 years (study group) have been compared to the control group of primiparous women aged 20–24 years. The study group was further divided into a study subgroup of adolescents aged ≤17 years. Data were retrieved from the National Perinatal Information System in Slovenia for the period 2008–2012. Altogether, 13,663 women and their newborns were included.

Results

Adolescent pregnancy was associated with increased rates of unknown estimated date of delivery, preterm labour, low birth weight newborns, small for gestational age newborns and low gestational weight gain. Spontaneous labour was more common in adolescents, while emergency and elective Caesarean sections were less common than in women aged 20–24 years. In addition, pregnancy in adolescents aged ≤17 years was associated with increased rate of maternal anaemia and labour without complications. Higher rates of smoking, lower rates of parenting school attendance, lower rates of pregnancy check-ups and screening tests in pregnancy such as nuchal translucency in adolescents were found.

Conclusions

The results of the study show that adolescent pregnancy is related to higher health risks for pregnant adolescents and their newborns. In addition, adolescents are subject to poorer prenatal care comparing to older women.