Download This PaperKnowledge, Practice and Quality of Life (QOL) of Pregnant Women: A Comparison Between Urban and Rural Populations
24 Pages Posted: 19 May 2020
Date Written: April 22, 2020
Abstract
Pregnancy is a crucial period for a woman because it poses risk not only to her but also to her fetus. The differences become glaringly obvious when examining the differences of health related quality of life between pregnant women in rural and urban areas. With far more resources being allocated towards the more populous urban areas, the health and lifestyle of those in rural areas especially of pregnant women, tends to suffer. Aim of study: to assess knowledge, practice and quality of life (QOL) of pregnant women and compare the differences between urban and rural populations. Methods: A comparative cross sectional study was conducted on pregnant women (n=600) in urban and rural areas of El-Behera Governorate in 2012. Tool: A structured interview questionnaire and a modified Short-Form health survey (SF-36v2®) were used to collect the required data from pregnant women. Results: A total of 600 pregnant women were interviewed from both rural and urban areas. The majority of the pregnant women in study achieved average level score of knowledge and poor score of practices about antenatal care in both rural and urban areas. But according to Generic SF-36 assessment tool, women from rural areas revealed higher score indicates better Generic Health-Related Quality Of Life (HRQOL) compared with those in urban areas. Conclusion and Recommendations: These findings presented a clear picture of the magnitude of the problem among pregnant women in both urban and rural areas. Self-perceived mental and physical health was better in rural pregnant women than in urban women. Therefore, educational campaigns should be focused to increase awareness of pregnant women and those who at risk.
Keywords: Physical Component Summary (PCS), Mental Component Summary (MCS), Pregnant Women, Health Related Quality of Life, SF-36v2®, Antenatal Care
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