Determinants of health-promoting behaviors in pregnant women

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study was to examine the relationship between social support, marital dissatisfaction, psychological factors, and health-promoting behaviors in pregnant women. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 1,265 pregnant women who visited the outpatient clinic of a maternity hospital between May and August 2023. The Health Promotion Lifestyle-II Questionnaire was used to measure the healthy lifestyle behaviors of pregnant women. The mental health status of pregnant women was measured using the Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale-21. The Marital Disaffection Scale was used to assess the level of disaffection toward a spouse. Perceived social support was measured by the Multidimensional Perceived Social Support Scale. RESULTS: Pregnant women had a mean age of 26.46 +/- 5.09 years. Multivariate linear regression analysis revealed that there was a positive association between perceived social support and health-promoting behaviors. It was also found that marital disaffection was negatively associated with health-promoting behaviors (p<0.001). CONCLUSION: The present study suggests that stress, anxiety, depression, and marital disaffection are negatively associated with health-promoting lifestyle behaviors, while social support is positively associated with the adoption of health practices in pregnant women. Understanding the complex interplay between psychosocial factors and healthy behaviors is crucial to improving healthy behaviors in pregnant women.