The Impact of a Self-Care Educational Intervention on Knowledge, Attitude and Practice Regarding COVID-19 Prevention in Pregnant Women: An Experimental Study
نویسندگان
1 Assistant Professor, Department of Public Health, Faculty of Health, Golestan University of Medical Sciences, Gorgan, Iran
2 Assistant Professor, Department of Anesthesiology, Sirjan School of Medical Sciences, Sirjan, Iran
3 Associate Professor, Student Research Committee, Sirjan School of Medical Sciences, Sirjan, Iran
4 Professor, Department of Medical Education, Paul L. Foster School of Medicine, Texas Tech Health Sciences Center, El Paso, Texas, USA
5 Associate Professor, Social Determinants of Health Research Center, ShK.C., Islamic Azad University, Shahrekord, Iran
doi
10.22038/jmrh.2024.74239.2174چکیده
Background & aim: COVID-19 is highly contagious, and pregnant women might be at a higher risk of developing severe symptoms. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of a self-care education intervention on knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) related to preventing COVID-19 among pregnant women. Methods: This experimental study was conducted in Health Centers of Sirjan, West Iran. A total of 60 pregnant women, divided equally into experimental and control groups, participated in this study. The educational intervention included face-to-face training as well as providing educational brochures and posters, and text message reminders, which were sent weekly over two months. Data collection was done using validated and reliable researcher-made questionnaires, including demographic and knowledge, attitude, and practice questionnaires, which were completed before and then two months after the intervention. Data analysis was performed by SPSS 23, using t-tests, chi-square, and correlation coefficients. Results: The experimental group showed significantly higher mean scores of knowledge, attitude, and practice in comparison to the control group after the intervention (P<0.001). Additionally, the mean scores of knowledge, attitude, and practice significantly increased after the intervention in the experimental group, compared to pre intervention (P<0.001). However, there were no significant changes after two months in the control group. Conclusion: The effectiveness of the educational intervention to improve KAP was confirmed in this study, and notable enhancements were observed in the intervention group compared to the control group. Such intervention not only support individual health but also contribute to reducing healthcare costs and disease burden at the community level.
