Effect of an educational intervention based on self-efficacy theory and health literacy skills on preventive behaviors of urinary tract infection in pregnant women: A quasi-experimental study.

OBJECTIVE: The impact of self-efficacy and health literacy skills on pregnant women's adherence to urinary tract infection (UTI) preventive behaviors is inadequately investigated. Thus, the present study explored whether an educational intervention based on self-efficacy and health literacy skills managed to improve UTI preventive behaviors among pregnant women. METHODS: A quasi-experimental study was conducted from January to July 2021 among pregnant women residing in Mashhad, Iran. To this aim, 110 pregnant women at a gestational age of 12-18 weeks were randomly assigned to a control (n = 55) and an intervention group (n = 55) and completed all questionnaires during the intervention and the 3-month follow-up. The intervention group received the full training program, comprising six 2-hourly training sessions. RESULTS: Most women were from low-income families (69.1%), were housewives (74.5%) with high school education or lower (63.6%). The theory-based intervention had a significant effect (P < 0·05) on UTI preventive behavior outcomes (i.e., clothing habits, nutrition, urination, health, and sexual behaviors) in the intervention group compared with the control group after intervention, and in their variation from baseline to follow-up in all scores. CONCLUSIONS: An educational intervention based on health literacy skills and self-efficacy could be an effective theory-based intervention to improve UTI preventive behaviors and reduce recurrent UTI and complications.

Examining health literacy and self-efficacy levels and their association with preventive behaviors of urinary tract infection in Iranian pregnant women: across sectional study.

OBJECTIVE: Urinary tract infection (UTI) is assumed to be associated with the risk of fetal and maternal mortality and morbidity during pregnancy. The potential effect of health literacy and self-efficacy on UTI preventive behaviors among pregnant women has not yet been fully studied. Our objectives were to determine the level of health literacy, self-efficacy, and UTI prevention behaviors in pregnant women, and whether health literacy and self-efficacy are associated with UTI prevention behaviors in pregnant women. DESIGN: A cross-sectional study was conducted, from November 2020 to December 2020, through a multi-stage sampling design on 235 pregnant women aged between 18 and 42 years in Mashhad, Iran. Data were collected through valid and reliable questionnaires including the Test of Functional Health Literacy in Adults (TOFHLA), General Self-Efficacy Questionnaire (GSE), and research made-preventive behaviors recommendations for UTI disease. RESULTS: The level of UTI prevention behaviors scores is moderate (71.39 ± 8.58) among women during their pregnancy. Insufficient health literacy and self-efficacy were observed in 53.6% and 59.3% of participants, respectively. The regression model highlighted that 21.20% of the total variance of UTI preventive behaviors was predicted by sociodemographic characteristics, while 40.81% of the variance of UTI preventive behaviors was predicted by health literacy and self-efficacy. CONCLUSION: It has been observed that health literacy and self-efficacy are main determinants to improve UTI preventive behaviors. Focusing on an intervention based on health literacy skills may be a practical strategy to promote a healthy lifestyle in this population.