Associations between maternal health literacy and prenatal care and pregnancy outcome

Health literacy includes the ability to understand instructions come from health workers and units, cognitiveand social skills and the competence to use such information and services in ways, which are health-enhancing. Antenatalcare is an important key for a healthy maternity. Maternal health literacy and particular cognitive and social skillsrequired for healthy maternity include abilities to detect risk factors and taking actions for healthier life style and betternutrition during pregnancy. The association between maternal health literacy and outcome of pregnancy has been investigatedin this study. This descriptive study was carried out in Isfahan Beheshti hospital in 2005. 150 parturient were selected randomlyin postpartum ward based on inclusion criteria. Women with medical sciences education, chronic disease andpregnancy complications were excluded. Data were collected through questionnaires and analyzed with SPSS. Based on the scores they were given from the questionnaire, 34% were classified as having low, 48% moderateand 18% good maternal health literacy. Women with adequate health literacy had significant difference in starting earlierand frequency of antenatal care, neonatal birth weight, mother hematocrit (HCT), ferrous and folic acid tablet consumption,pregnancy weight gain, gestational age at birth, method of delivery and breastfeeding. Other birth outcomeswere similar between groups. Our findings suggest that good health literacy among pregnant women is associated with good pregnancyoutcome and the fact that poor health literacy causes poor chance to gain a positive pregnancy outcome. A collaborativeeffort to increase maternal health literacy by assessing maternal health literacy levels in prenatal care unit, revision ofeducational materials into simple language, and provision of pregnant women with oral and video instruction in additionto written educational materials are highly recommended.