Pregnant Women's Awareness, Beliefs and Self-protective Behaviors Regarding COVID-19 Pandemic: Nursing Intervention Based on Health Belief Model.

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Assistant professor of Woman's Health and Midwifery Nursing Department, Faculty of Nursing, Mansoura University, Egypt

2 Lecturer of Woman's Health and Midwifery Nursing Department, Faculty of Nursing, Mansoura University, Egypt.

Abstract

Background: COVID-19 is a respiratory infection causing minor to severe complications.
Health Belief Model improves pregnant women's awareness, and beliefs and encourages the
adoption of self-protective behaviors. Aim: The present study aimed to evaluate the effect of
nursing intervention based on health belief model regarding COVID-19 pandemic on pregnant
women’s awareness, beliefs, and self-protective behaviors. Design: A quasi-experimental design.
Setting: The study was conducted at the antenatal outpatient clinics of Mansoura University
Hospitals, Egypt. Subjects: A purposive sample of one hundred fifty- four pregnant women was
divided into intervention and control groups each containing seventy-seven women). Tools: an
interviewing questionnaire, COVID-19 health belief scale, and COVID-19 self-protective behaviors
survey were used for data collection. Results: There was no statistically significant difference
between the studied groups concerning their general characteristics. Nevertheless, highly
statistically significant differences between the studied groups in all areas of COVID-19 awareness
and health belief model constructs were found. Furthermore, highly significant positive correlations
at P level 0.01 between women's total awareness scores, health belief model scores, and self-
protective behaviors regarding COVID-19 for the intervention group than the control group.
Conclusion: Nursing intervention based on the health belief model positively improved pregnant
women’s awareness, beliefs, and self-protective behaviors regarding COVID-19 pandemic.
Recommendation: Nursing interventions for COVID-19 prevention should be provided to all
pregnant women at all maternal and child health centers until the virus is completely eradicated.

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