Assessment of Relationship Between Health Literacy and Level of Knowledge on Prenatal Diagnosis and Antenatal Care in Pregnant Women

Introduction: The goals of this study are to determine the knowledge levels of pregnant women regarding prenatal diagnosis and antenatal care, examine associated variables, and assess their relationship with health literacy.
Material and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 386 pregnant women aged between 17 and 42 who presented to an Education and Research Hospital in Ankara. The research was carried out between March 15, 2020, and September 15, 2020. The knowledge levels of pregnant women about prenatal diagnosis and antenatal care were assessed using 26 information questions. Health literacy level was evaluated using the European Health Literacy Short Form. Chi-square test and logistic regression analysis were used for data analysis. A significance level of p≤0.05 was accepted.
Results: 37.3% of pregnant women reported obtaining information from healthcare professionals. The most well-known information was “Smoking and alcohol should be completely stopped before getting pregnant,” with 96.6%. Pregnant women with sufficient health literacy had significantly higher levels of knowledge about prenatal diagnosis and antenatal care as compared to those with insufficient literacy. Inadequate knowledge about prenatal diagnosis and antenatal care was found in those with lower spouse education levels, poor family income, and irregular prenatal checkups, and those who did not seek information before pregnancy.
Discussion and Conclusion: It was observed that pregnant women with adequate health literacy had higher knowledge levels about prenatal diagnosis and antenatal care. Increasing the health literacy levels of pregnant women can enhance their knowledge in the field of prenatal diagnosis and antenatal care, ultimately reducing maternal and infant mortality.

Keywords: Pregnant women; Level of knowledge on antenatal care; Health literacy