Measuring Maternal Health Literacy in Pregnant Women Referred to the Healthcare Centers of Mashhad, Iran, in 2015

Background aim: Maternal health literacy is defined as the cognitive and social skills determining the ability to get access to, understand, and use information to promote mothers’ health and that of their children. This study aimed to investigate maternal health literacy in pregnant women referred to the healthcare centers of Mashhad, Iran. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 185 randomly selected pregnant women referred to the healthcare centers of Mashhad, Iran, in 2015. Data were collected using demographic and maternal health literacy questionnaire. Data analysis was performed using one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), independent t-test, and Pearson s correlation coefficient test in SPSS, version 16.0. Results: The mean score of maternal health literacy was 42.7±5.6 (out of 56). There was a significant relationship between maternal health literacy score and women’s educational level (P 0.001), their spouses’ educational level (P 0.001), and family income (P=0.008). Conclusion: The mean score of maternal health literacy is not desirable in Iran. Regarding the significant relationship between the score of maternal health literacy and women’s and their spouses’ educational level and family income, it is essential to promote maternal health literacy, especially in low-income and lower-educated population.a