The Effect of Health Literacy and Self-Efficacy Intervention on Nutrition of Pregnant Mothers and Infant Weight

Maternal health literacy during pregnancy is essential in maintaining health of themselves and their children. The aim of this study was to determine the effects of a maternal education intervention based on the self-efficacy theory and health literacy on birth weight. This clinical trial study was performed on 76 pregnant mothers, referred to Mashhad University of Medical Sciences health centers, Mashhad, Iran for routine prenatal checkups in 2016. The participants were assigned to two groups based on multistage cluster sampling method. Study questionnaires included demographic, maternal health literacy, pregnancy outcome and perceived dietary self-efficacy questionnaires Educational intervention including oral presentation, group discussion and multimedia tutorials. The questionnaires were completed at baseline, after intervention and at three months of follow up. The mean age of mothers was 24.92 ± 4.84 years (23.92 ± 4.59 and 25.92 ± 4.94 years in intervention and control groups respectively).  There was no significant difference between the intervention and control groups in terms of age, maternal health literacy and self-efficacy at baseline. Intervention resulted in significant improvement in health literacy (p<0.001) and nutrition self-efficacy (p<0.001) in the intervention group compared to control group. The mean birth weight of children was significantly higher in the intervention group (3324.14 ± 416.12 g) compared to the control group (3007.73 ± 468.63 g) (p=0.003). The present findings indicate the effectiveness of the designed educational intervention based on self-efficacy theory in improving maternal health literacy and promoting normal birth weight in newborns.